The Seymour Department of Public Works recently had the opportunity to plant some knowledge and grow awareness of Arbor Day by handing out trees to the young girls at Girls Inc. of Jackson County in Seymour.
“When we plant trees, it makes the planet healthier, and if the planet is healthy, we are healthy,” Phoebe Cornett, 9, said.
It all began with a newspaper editor and tree enthusiast J. Sterling Morton from Nebraska City, Nebraska, advocating for individuals and civic groups to plant trees. Once he became secretary of the Nebraska Territory, the roots of his message spread throughout the population, according to the Arbor Day Foundation website.
On Jan. 4, 1872, Morton first proposed a tree planting holiday to be called Arbor Day at a meeting of the State Board of Agriculture.
The celebration date was set for April 10, 1872. Prizes were offered to counties and individuals for the largest number of properly planted trees on that day. According to the foundation website, it was estimated that more than 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day.
Arbor Day was proclaimed officially in 1874 by Nebraska’s governor, Robert W. Furnas, and the day was observed April 10 that year. In 1885, Arbor Day was named a legal state holiday in Nebraska, and April 22 was selected as the date for its permanent annual observance.
The branches of this idea eventually spread to many other states that also passed legislation to observe the holiday. By 1920, more than 45 states and territories were celebrating Arbor Day.
According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources website, the first Arbor Day in Indiana was observed April 11, 1884. All the way up to 1912, Arbor Day was observed on various dates until Indiana’s legislature passed a bill setting the third Friday of April as Arbor Day.
DPW and the Seymour Parks and Recreation Department presented the Girls Inc. members with pecan trees and provided a few facts about pecan trees.
“We have done this program in the past, and it’s always good to educate these girls on Arbor Day and the need to plant more trees,” said Allycen Wheeler, assistant program director for parks and recreation.
Doug Gregory, assistant superintendent for Seymour Water Pollution Control, and Paul Montgomery, a senior at Seymour High School, also were in attendance helping pass out trees to the young ladies.
In 2021 at a city council meeting, Montgomery suggested an idea for Seymour to become a Tree City, a recognition awarded by the Arbor Day Foundation in efforts to help beautify a town.
To achieve this classification, Seymour must establish an Arbor Day event, enact an ordinance related to trees, create a committee or board dedicated to trees and spend $2 per capita on urban forestry.
A board already has been established with Gregory and Montgomery among the members.
Ansley Williams, 7, said she is excited to plant her tree and already has a spot in her backyard where she plans to plant it.
“Planting trees is good for the environment and makes the planet prettier,” she said.
On April 28, DPW held an Arbor Day event complete with a proclamation from Mayor Matt Nicholson and an update on the Tree City program at Harmony Park. The event also included food and drinks by The Brooklyn Pizza Co. and Arbor Day trivia for the community to test their knowledge provided by Patty Brothers Entertainment.
As Seymour continues its efforts to beautify the city, a first step has been taken by starting at the roots.
Facts about pecan trees
-They can grow to a height of 150 to 160 feet and up to 6.5 feet across.
-They grow fruit with flesh hulls that dry, split and separate over the course of the season, during which it frees the nuts and causes them to fall to the ground.
-Pecan trees need a full six to eight hours of sunlight per day, and they can grow in a wide range of soils.
-Pecan trees are native to America and Mexico, and the United States produces 80% of the world’s pecans.
-They are part of the family trees known as hickory trees.
-The lifespan of a pecan tree is up to 300 years.
Arbor Day trivia
Q: What is the most common tree planted in the U.S.?
Q: Which tree is the most dangerous?
Q: What are the names of the five trees that create the most oxygen?
Q: Which part of the cinnamon tree is used to make the common spice?
Q: What kind of scientist studies trees?
Q: What tree was made famous because of the Harry Potter series?
Scroll down for answers…
Answers
1.Red maple tree
2. Manchineel tree
3. Beech, Douglas fir, maple, true firs and spruce
4. Bark
5. Dendrologist
6. Whomping Willow