NEBRASKA CITY - Kids: “Please, please please, plant more trees.”

Inspired by musical entertainers The String Beans,  children get into the spirit of Arbor Day Friday at Arbor Lodge State Park.

Arbor Lodge guide Laura Steinman   said the children’s program tradition dates back to 1885, when Gov.James Dawes declared an official holiday.

Steinman: “There was a huge parade that year with over 1,000 people participating. All the school children walked in the parade and carried banners that they had made. Then, after the parade and bands and all that, they went to the opera house where J. Sterling presented a program to over 800 school children.”

Liz Potter of the Arbor Day Foundation said students sang along with Right Here in Nebraska and received an Elwoodii cypress to plant.

 

 

Steinman: “The fact that we have them here at Arbor Lodge now is just wonderful because the children get to see the home and think about that vast prairie grass and now trees. They can look around them and say ‘wow, what an impact Arbor Day has made.”

Potter said the program continues the Arbor Day Foundation’s mission.

Potter: “Since our founding we have planted over 500 million trees and we’re hoping to continue that success. You can actually see our commemorative 500 millionth tree planted here at Nebraska City that just reaffirms and shows how inspiring this mission is.”

Vaughn Hammond gave the tree planting demonstration and Carly Cardinal helped with tree distribution.