Each spring, communities around the world celebrate a variety of holidays around growth and living things. In the U.S., a new tradition started in 1872, when Nebraskan journalist and politician J. Sterling Morton prompted the secular observation of Arbor Day. Morton coordinated with communities across the state to plant one million trees on April 10 of that year.
While Morton’s initiative spread across the U.S. swiftly, with the American Forestry Association appointing a nationwide chair by 1883, it wasn’t the first-ever tree planting jubilee. In 1594, the village of Mondoñedo, Spain planted lime and horse chestnut trees in a park. In 1895, another Spanish village, Villanueva de la Sierra, hosted an Arbor Day in response to the environmental damage of the Napoleonic wars.
Carbondale’s official Arbor Day is over 30 years old, often celebrated in early May rather than late April. The Town has been recognized as a “Tree City” by the Arbor Day Foundation since 1992. Just a couple of years later, in 1994, the Carbondale Tree Board was authorized by the Board of Trustees.
This year, Carbondale’s Arbor Day will take place on May 2 in Hendrick Park from 10 am to noon. Town Arborist Carl Meinecke will plant a honey locust, a fast-growing deciduous tree native to North America and known for its aromatic springtime blossoms.
Tree Board Chair Lisa Paige explained that the Arbor Day celebration helps Carbondale maintain its certification as a Tree City. The Tree Board will have an information table at the event with details for the community about different trees throughout the town.
“Diversity is essential so that invasive pests don’t ruin the entire canopy,” Paige said. “Meineicke will demonstrate how to safely plant new trees and present information on watering and tree care, especially in drought conditions,” which is top of mind for the Tree Board this year, according to Paige. “We are the stewards of this canopy … This means sometimes we need to be proactive.”
The Tree Board is also planning several other events over the summer. Members will also be at Dandelion Day sharing tree information, and there will be a summer arborist walk, scheduled for either June or July, depending on precipitation. Later in the summer, the board is looking to schedule other demonstrations on pruning and mulching.
Paige expressed enthusiasm for the planting that has been done in recent years: “We’re beginning to see some really wonderful trees coming into our environment that are wonderful landscape specimens.”
She also shared that the Tree Board is gearing up for a large planting project in 2027, with hopes to expand planting in and around Chacos Park.
“Some of the new varieties have some really wonderful color and provide great habitat for songbirds,” she said. “For this year, most changes are going to be maintenance related, such as trimming or pruning. [Meinecke] is watching several trees closely, but no major changes are slated for this year.”
Paige said that the mitigation efforts Meinecke has headed over the past few years to limit the spread of the emerald ash borer beetle have been working.
The Tree Board provides recommended tree types on its website for planting, as well as guidelines for successfully planting new trees. Paige said that Meinecke will be adding suckerpunch chokecherries, lindens and other small blooming trees to Carbondale’s canopy.
To learn more about Arbor Day, tree planting and the benefits of shaded streets, visit the Arbor Day Foundation website at arborday.org. More details regarding Carbondale’s trees and those of other Colorado communities can be found on Colorado Tree View, where arborists compile data about maintained trees.