By Wisconsin DNR
A worker plants a red pine seedling provided by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering free tree seedlings to every fourth-grade student in Wisconsin as part of its annual Arbor Day tree planting program.
Wisconsin fourth-grade principals, teachers and homeschoolers can now place seedling orders and coordinate delivery by completing the 2026 Arbor Day application by March 16, 2026.
Since 1984, every fourth-grade student in Wisconsin has been eligible to receive a free tree seedling from our state nurseries to complement Arbor Day observations and celebrations. Planting seedlings from state nurseries is a great way to celebrate Arbor Day (April 24, 2026), a national holiday dedicated to increasing the number of trees across the country to help improve the environment.
A box of pine seedlings is prepared for distribution at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Wilson State Nursery in Boscobel. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
Through its fourth-grade Arbor Day tree planting program, the DNR provides interactive education to Wisconsin students about the importance of trees in our environment. Annually, the DNR provides approximately 50,000 free tree seedlings to fourth-grade students throughout the state.
Seedlings come protected to keep backpacks clean, and shipments include educational information on how best to plant and care for seedlings and trees.
“Trees provide a variety of benefits to both people and the planet,” said Heather Berklund, DNR chief state forester. “From filtering pollution and runoff and providing clean air and water to offering shelter and food for wildlife and giving us essential household products we use every day, it’s important that we continue to teach our youth and the public about the importance of growing, managing and regenerating our forests for all of us to enjoy today and into the future.”
Any tree seedlings planted will also get Wisconsin closer to its Trillion Trees Pledge of planting 100 million trees across the state by 2030.
Arbor Day, an annual observance promoting tree planting and care, has been celebrated in Wisconsin on the last Friday of April since 1883.
For more information, contact Carey Skerven at the Griffith State Nursery at 715-424-3700.