By Zelpha Boyd
Spring is here and with it comes our annual Bozeman Clean-up Day—April 23rd . In April—when our Spring truly is—we also Celebrate Arbor Day and Earth Day.
Earth Day falls on April 22nd while Arbor Day is celebrated on the 29th –always the last Friday of April. What better way to celebrate our Earth than to help make it a cleaner, more beautiful place? This year’s theme for Earth Day is Trees for the Earth. Arbor Day is celebrated by planting trees.
And since now is the best time of year to plant a tree, we can each help reach the goal of planting 7.8 billion trees, world-wide. (This is the goal of the Earth Day Network.com) Trees come in so many different sizes, shapes, and varieties of all kinds, it wouldn’t be hard to pick out the perfect tree for your city lot of farm location. Buy from a local Nursery—they stock trees and shrubs suited for our Zone 4 climate. The folks there can help answer any questions you may have.
There’s no mistaking the need for trees. They provide oxygen, minimize CO2 emissions, help control climates, and are beneficial in preventing erosions. Trees are used to create wind breaks, provide micro climates, as well adding beauty to the landscape. Fruit trees provide many, many varieties of food for people around the world. In the early pioneer days, folks moving from the heavily forested areas of the east, planted trees on their bare, windy plains. Nebraska was the first state to celebrate Arbor Day in 1872. That year one million trees were planted in Nebraska alone. Arbor Day is celebrated around the world, each at the time of year best suited for planting trees—Australia and New Zealand in June, China in March, the United Kingdom in April, and Brazil in September. Besides planting a tree, this is a good time to begin a garden. Early vegetables—peas, lettuce, chard, spinach and beets—may be planted now. Flowers include cosmos, calendula, Sweet Peas and bachelor button. Better wait until at least the middle of May before planting cucumbers, squash, marigold and zinnias. Wait until the first of June, to put in those hothouse grown tomatoes, peppers and petunias—and be prepared to cover if a frost is predicted! All green and growing is good for our Mother Earth! Bozeman Clear-up Day will be held on April 22, at the Public Library.
All are encouraged to participate—picking up the winter litter—each in our own area. Cleaning up the environment, planting trees, flowers and vegetables are such good ways to celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day. And it’s a good time to re-double our efforts to Recycle. Remember the saying, “Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do, or Do without.” Let the fun begin! •
