Happy N.C. Arbor Day!

Did you know that many states celebrate their own Arbor Day, in addition to the nationally recognized Arbor Day? In 1967, the N.C. Legislature declared that the first Friday following March 15 would be the Tar Heel state’s Arbor Day. Here’s some of the language from that bill:

“Whereas, it is desirable that the planting of seedlings and flowering shrubs be encouraged to promote the beautification and conservation of the vast and varied resources of North Carolina, and whereas the designation of a particular day each year as Arbor Day would encourage and draw attention to a concerted effort by North Carolinians to beautify and conserve the state’s resources by planting young trees and shrubs.” 

BTW: National Arbor Day is always the last Friday in April. Want to know when other states celebrate? Check out this interactive map from the Arbor Day Foundation.

For us here at TreesCharlotte, it’s sort of our Christmas – but with us giving the gift of trees to you! Here’s what we have on tap this week:

Tuesday: The Go Big TreeStore on Tuesday, March 19. 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at TreesCharlotte HQ, 701 Tuckaseegee Road. About 150 canopy-building trees: All must go! Details here.

Wednesday: Stewardship of trees we planted a couple years ago at Southwest Middle School. (Volunteer slots are full!)

Friday: A big day for us: We’ll be at Lawrence Orr Elementary with our partners from the N.C. Wildlife Federation and the Charlotte Tree Advisory Commission teaching students all about trees. AND, we’ll be at the Harris Campus of CPCC planting 50 trees. Whew. (Volunteer slots are full!)

Saturday: TreesCharlotte is honored to be a beneficiary of the Elizabeth 8K, Charlotte’s oldest road race. We’ll be at the finish line in Independence Park, 345 Hawthorne Lane, with 20 free trees to give away to runners and their families and friends! Race time is 8 a.m. Swing by and run, walk or cheer – and then come get a tree! Race details here.

Now through Dec. 1: Do you have a tree, tree story or tree advocate that you think deserves recognition? A great way to celebrate Arbor Week is by nominating them for a 2020 Crown Tree Award! These awards celebrate Charlotte’s amazing urban forest and the citizens who preserve, grow and advocate for it. Nominations are open to all and must be submitted by Dec. 1, 2019, for consideration. Categories include: Mayor’s Tree of the Year, Spirit of the Tree, Corporate Friend of the Forest and Proud Partner of the Canopy. Read more and nominate here!