By Patricia Lindquist, DNR Urban Forestry Communications Specialist, patricia.lindquist@wisconsin.gov, 608-843-6248
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Arbor Day Foundation has suspended their requirement to hold a public Arbor Day celebration in 2021. Communities will be able to maintain their Tree City USA designations without meeting this standard. An Arbor Day proclamation is still a requirement.
As an alternative to a public gathering, we encourage you to use social media to celebrate trees and their many benefits. Social media is an excellent tool for spreading the message that trees and tree care/management are vitally important to our communities.
Feel free to use our suggested messages here, or develop your own creative tree campaign.
Message #1: Arbor Day is a great time to plant a tree. Not sure what to plant? The Morton Arboretum near Chicago offers a species selector tool on its website. Find a tree that will thrive in your yard, and choose a tree based on features you want such as beautiful fall color or fragrant flowers. Learn more at https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/search-trees/search-all-trees-and-plants
Message #2: Arbor Day is April 30! Celebrate with us by posting a photo of your favorite tree. Be sure to include a photo of a memorable tree in your community and tell us what you love about it.
Message #3: A healthy urban tree canopy increases property values, reduces storm water runoff and erosion, improves air quality and reduces energy used for heating and cooling. Every tree makes a difference! [You could calculate the benefits for a specific tree in your community as an example, such as “A single 8-inch-diameter red oak in a backyard in Wausau provides $51 worth of annual benefits, which will increase as the tree grows.”]
Discover the value of the benefits provided by individual trees around your home and in your community with the National Tree Benefit Calculator: http://www.treebenefits.com/calculator/
Message #4: Happy Arbor Day! Plant a tree, take a walk in the woods or learn to identify the trees on your street. You may even want to help others learn about the trees in your neighborhood by labeling them with sidewalk chalk. Learn more about identifying trees at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/education/treeID
Message #5: Did you know that more than one third of the trees in cities and towns across Wisconsin are maples? That’s too much! A diverse array of species is beneficial so our urban forests can better withstand diseases and pests such as the emerald ash borer. Read this https://forestrynews.blogs.govdelivery.com/2021/04/08/species-diversity-in-the-urban-forest-a-short-guide-for-homeowners/ by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to learn more about species diversity and which trees to plant.
Message #6: Celebrate Arbor Day by planting a tree! Learn more about the proper technique, here: https://widnr.widen.net/s/pnbrbkcxcb/new-tree-planting-brochure—fr-184
Message #7: Celebrate Arbor Day by planting a tree! Learn how to properly plant with this video series from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/urbanforests/treeplantingresources [The videos have not been added to this webpage yet but will likely be posted by Arbor Week.]
Message #8: (only valid during Arbor Week, April 25-30th): Celebrate Arbor Day by planting a tree from your couch! Post a photo of your favorite tree on social media, tag @arborday, and use the hashtag #ArborDay. The Arbor Day Foundation will plant a tree on your behalf. Learn more at celebratearborday.com.
We hope you find these ideas useful. If you post content online for Arbor Day, we’d love to hear about it! Please email patricia.lindquist@wisconsin.gov with the details.