Grow Hope for the Future on Arbor Day
Arbor Day, celebrated April 26 this year, is a holiday
celebrated around the world that encourages people to plant trees, one of the
most vital parts of our ecosystem. Although the Arbor Day tradition began in
Nebraska in the late 19th century, many countries around the world have adopted
the custom as a means of promoting awareness of environmental sustainability and
encouraging people to value trees. ChildFund encourages sustainability through
agricultural projects such as community gardens and orchards as well as
providing training on organic farming techniques.
New Growth
One of the key
principles of Arbor Day is the
planting of new saplings. J. Sterling Morton, a newspaper editor who moved from
Michigan to Nebraska in the 1850s, decided to plant trees at his new home not
only to remind himself and his family of their home state's forests but also to
serve as windbreaks for newly planted crops, offer shade to farmers working in
the fields, and provide fuel and construction materials for the burgeoning
community. Not content to focus solely on his own backyard, Morton wrote
newspaper editorials encouraging others to plant trees. Arbor Day was officially
named a holiday in 1874.
Today, almost 150 years
after Morton began his annual tree-planting tradition, Arbor Day is an important
event on the agricultural calendar of more than 35 countries around the
world.
Seeds of Hope
ChildFund realizes how
crucial fruit trees are to many communities, especially for families living in
developing nations. Malnutrition is one of the most urgent health problems in
nations such as Mozambique, where many children lack access to the fruits and
vegetables they need to grow up healthily. To address this, our Gifts of
Love & Hope catalog offers supporters the opportunity to give a lifelong
supply of fruit trees to families in Mozambique.
In addition to providing
children with a regular supply of oranges, lemons, guavas, peaches, papayas,
avocados, mangoes, coconuts and bananas, a gift of fruit trees can also add to a
family's income. As the crop yield from these trees is more than the average
family needs to survive, the surplus can be sold at local markets, giving
families additional income they can use to purchase other essentials.
Roots in the Community
This Arbor Day, the Arbor Day Foundation website can
connect you with like-minded individuals in your area. Volunteering as part of a
tree-planting project is an excellent way to connect with other members of your
community, work toward a good cause, develop new skills and expand your
horizons.
After getting involved
this Arbor Day, why not share your experiences with the world? Through the Arbor
Day Foundation, you can provide a summary of what made the experience so
rewarding, post pictures of your Arbor Day activities, and connect with other
volunteers through Facebook or Twitter.
Arbor Day is an ideal
opportunity to think about the environment and work with other passionate people
toward a good cause. If you're inspired to take further action, consider making
a donation to our Gifts
of Love & Hope catalog to help families in need establish a
self-sustaining garden or orchard.