“Each generation takes the Earth as Trustees” J. Sterling Morton (Founder of National Arbor Day Holiday)
National Arbor Day Celebration-Coming to a town near you?
How would you like to be a part of a Local Network of people who are doing something positive for both our health and our future? We have a great opportunity here in the Berkshires to take positive action towards investing in our future and insuring both the growth and beauty of our landscapes. That event is National Arbor Day.
National Arbor Day is a holiday in which groups and individuals are encouraged to plant and care for trees. It originated in Nebraska City, Nebraska, USA by J. Sterling Morton. As a pioneer in the Midwest his desire to have more trees was based on the need to create windbreaks to keep the soil in place, wood for fuel, lumber for building materials and for shade from the hot sun.
The first Arbor Day was held on April 10, 1872 and an estimated one million trees were planted that day. Many countries now observe a similar holiday. Though usually observed in the spring, the date varies, depending on climate and suitable planting season. In Massachusetts our National Arbor Holiday is Friday April 26 and our state tree is the American Elm (Ulmus Americana)
I have teamed up with The Lenox Tree Warden, The Berkshire Conservation District, The Lenox Village Beautification Committee, The Church On The Hill (UCC Lenox), The Lenox Preschool, The Lenox Chamber of Commerce, and the Community Action Forster DCR (and others to join-this article was submitted March 14, 2013) and together we are planning to have tree planting ceremonies/special events at selected locations in Lenox Center along with the distribution of posters, tee shirts, tree seedlings and more to come as we hear back from our donors.
If you are interested in getting involved, donating services/funds or would like to have me come to your group or organization to give talk on trees (and possibly receive trees/tree seedlings/posters/educational brochures) feel free to contact me.
Trees in Danger.
A powerful tornado damaged trees on 11,000 acres from Springfield to Sturbridge. The Asian long horned beetle has destroyed trees in Worcester County and Boston. The winter moth defoliated 89,000 acres in eastern Mass and on the North and South Shores, Cape Cod, and Martha’s Vineyard. The Hemlock woolly adelgid and elongate hemlock scale has ruined thousands of trees. The Emerald ash borer has been found in Dalton, MA and will most likely continue to spread eastward. This could have devastating effects on our economy and overall beauty of our forests here in Berkshire County. So there is no time to waste. We need to continue heartily with our efforts to keep planting trees to keep up with the amount that we are losing and trees that we will loose in the future.
The Value of Trees to our Community
· “Landscaping, especially with trees, can increase property value by as much as 20%”
-Management Info. Services/ICMA
· “In laboratory research, visual exposure to settings with trees has produced significant recovery from stress within 5 minutes, as indicated by changes in blood pressure and muscle tension”
-Dr. Roger S. Ulrich-Texas A&M University
· “Tress properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30% and can save 20-50% in energy used for heating”
-USDA Forest Service
Local Resources
· You can purchase 100 blue spruce seedlings for $99 from the Massachusetts Tree Wardens and Foresters Association. (13 other species are available Oaks, Firs, Lilacs, Dogwoods, etc..)
· Landscape Design Consultations: Call me and I can help you find the right trees for the right places.
· Tree seedlings can also be purchased from the Berkshire Conservation Districts annual plant sale Saturday May 4 at 2 locations : Monument Mountain High School Great Barrington and at Springside park in Pittsfield 9 am to 12 noon. (www.berkshireconservation.org)
“Other holidays repose upon the past; Arbor Day proposes for the future.” -J. Sterling Morton (Founder of National Arbor Day Holiday)
For updated information on the Lenox National Arbor Day Celebration and for many other tips/ideas for your trees/yard please visit my Facebook Page at: www.facebook.com/ScottHarringtonHomeTreeYardCare
Scott Harrington owns and operates Scott Harrington Landscape Services based in Lenox, MA. www.scottharringtonservices.comhometreeyard@gmail.com 413-348-4505