Arbor Day activities
Maggie Moore
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – April 25 is Arbor Day. The holiday is celebrated the last Friday in April and started in 1872.
Arbor Day started as a tree planting day in Nebraska. Prizes were given out to people who planted the most trees that day. Over a million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day. President Theodore Roosevelt declared Arbor Day as a national holiday in 1907.
Local Celebrations
The city of Ammon is hosting an Arbor Day celebration Friday at Bridgewater Park. Celebrations start at 11:30, the city will be planting trees in the park and then giving out a hot dog lunch and Colorado spruce seedlings.
The Idaho Forest Products Commission also has a lot of great ways to celebrate. They’re giving away thousands of seedlings across the state including in Idaho Falls, Chubbuck, and Blackfoot. You can find a list of locations here.
IFPC also has lots of activities for students to learn about trees and conservation on their website, including a free coloring sheet to print out.
IFPC also hosts the Arbor Day youth photo contest. You can see this year’s winners here.