Christian Peterson
reporter.riverbendnews@gmail.com
Florida celebrated Arbor Day on Friday, Jan. 17. Arbor Day is a national observance that highlights the benefits of trees in urban environments and encourages tree planting and care. According to an announcement from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) extension, Arbor Day was first started by Julius Sterling Morton in Nebraska and took place in 1872. Morton served as Secretary of Agriculture under President Grover Cleveland, working to improve agricultural techniques across the United States. Nearly 100 years later, in 1970, President Richard Nixon declared the last Friday in April as National Arbor Day; however, each state celebrates Arbor Day at different times throughout the year. Florida and Louisiana are the first to celebrate on the third Friday of January. The timing of Florida's Arbor Day celebration is ideal for replanting trees, as most species are dormant and lose less water during this period. This makes it easier to transplant trees with minimal stress. This year's celebration particularly highlighted the significance of the Live Oak, the namesake of Suwannee County's seat. A crowd began gathering at 10 a.m. at Heritage Park and Gardens for the Florida Arbor Day celebration. Jacob Earnest from Florida Forestry was there, along with Raymond Balaguer, the Commercial Horticulture, Small Farms, and Natural Resources Agent from UF/IFAS. Representatives from various wildlife organizations were also present to promote the importance of trees. To kick off the celebration, Earnest gathered the crowd for a special tree planting. Attendees watched as he dug a hole and planted a Live Oak sapling, marking the first tree of the holiday. However, the planting did not stop there. Earnest brought along 1,000 additional saplings for the public to take home, including Red Maple, Longleaf Pine and Bald Cypress. Everyone in attendance was allowed to take one of each species to plant in their own yards. After collecting their saplings, participants were directed to a nearby table featuring QR codes. Scanning these codes provided detailed instructions on how to care for each tree, as well as timelines for their growth. The event was a successful one, as the saplings began to disappear almost immediately after being placed on the table.