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Georgia Arbor Day 2024 Celebration Week Feb. 11 – 17

 

Trees Atlanta Celebrates Georgia Arbor Day with a Week of Events: February 11 – 17, 2024

Love Letters to Trees  |  Lunch & Learn  |  Speaker Series  |  Seedling Giveaway  |  Student Art Contest  |  Atlanta’s Champion Trees  |  Volunteer Projects  |  What is Georgia Arbor Day?

All Week, Feb. 11 – 17

Love Letters to Trees

It’s no coincidence (in our humble opinion) that every year, St. Valentine’s Day falls within days of Georgia Arbor Day! 💚💚💚 How can anyone talk about LOVE and not talk about TREES? Not possible!

To kick off this year’s Celebration Week for Georgia Arbor Day, we invite you to write Love Letters to Trees.

  • Pick a special tree. Perhaps it’s the oak that shades you on hot summer days or the pawpaw tree that you discovered creekside in a city park? Write a letter to the tree you planted for your child’s birthday. Scribe an ode to the 100-year-old tree on the corner near your house.
  • Letters are accepted at any time. Take a photo, write a brief note, poem, confession, or any loving words you’d like to share, and submit your Love Letter to Trees. We’ll feature a few notes and photos on throughout the week. We’d love to see your entries!
  • Submit your own Love Letter to Trees.
  • Click here read Love Letters to Trees.

Tuesday, Feb. 13

Lunch & Learn: The Future of Urban Trees and Green Stormwater Infrastructure

Tue Feb 13 | 12pm-1:30pm | Trees Atlanta Kendeda TreeHouse. As cities expand and areas urbanize, flooding caused by inadequate infrastructure, lack of canopy cover, and resulting high heat index have become major concerns. Many technological advances are needed to meet these changing needs. Join us during a lunch time demonstration to learn about the company’s Citygreen modular Stratavault system which employs advanced design geometry and reinforced copolymers to produce an incredibly robust, skeletal matrix to support tree root systems in urban environments.

Specialists will be on site at the Trees Atlanta Kendeda TreeHouse to explain the the impact of using a Stratavault system in planting urban trees. Participants will have an opportunity to see the system in-person at a recently installed planting at the Trees Atlanta campus. Come with questions on how to incorporate this technology into your expanding cityscapes. The later portion of this presentation will take place outdoors to physically view and asses the Stratavault system. Register

Wednesday, Feb. 14

Speaker Series: Urban Tree Care 101

Wed Feb 14 | 7pm-8:30pm | Trees Atlanta Kendeda TreeHouse. Christie Bryant, formed her business Speaking for the Trees in 2019 and focuses on advocating for both property owners and trees. At this talk, she guides newcomers through an essential urban tree care course, including tips on how to live and thrive with mature trees specific to Atlanta. understand local tree ordinances, perform tree-care basics, evaluate your landscape and soil, and get involved with Atlanta’s urban forest culture. Attendees are invited to take home a free Georgia Arbor Day tree seedling. Register.

Thursday, Feb. 15 & Friday, Feb. 16

Plant a Tree! Free Seedling Giveaway

We love our annual tree seedling giveaway! Adopt our free bareroot seedlings and watch them grow!

Seedlings are an amazingly efficient way to plant a lot of new trees. Although tree seedlings require a little more care in the early stages (to protect it from being overlooked and crushed), they’re a great way to plant new trees. Tree seedlings are efficiently transported, super easy to plant, and with a little TLC from you, they grow fast and quickly grow to catch up in size to trees planted in larger sizes.

These species will be available for pickup:

  • PecanCarya illinoinensis
  • Bald CypressTaxodium distichum
  • Wax Myrtle Myrica cerifera

Pick up location: Trees Atlanta Kendeda TreeHouse, 825 Warner Street SW, Atlanta

Pick up hours: Thursday, 2/15 between 10 am – noon, 1 pm – 4 pm and Friday, 2/16 between 10 am – noon

How to get here.

  • Walk, cycle, or scoot: we are on the Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail. Bicycle racks are located near the plaza entrance near the BeltLine.
  • Public transit: we are approximately 1 mile from two MARTA Transit Stations: Oakland City Station and West End Stations.
  • Car: Limited parking is available on site, consider carpooling whenever possible. Please be mindful of your surroundings and of our neighbors; park with courtesy on public streets.

Want a reminder emailed to you? Click on one of the dates below and submit your info!

Friday, Feb. 16

Deadline to enter has been extended to Jan. 30.

2024 Georgia Arbor Day Student Art Contest Winners Announced

The 2024 Trees Atlanta Georgia Arbor Day Student Art Contest is a celebration of trees and creativity. Students can submit a work of art in the medium of their choice. This year, students are challenged with creating original artwork that reflects the participant’s interpretation of this theme: “Trees, Diversity, and Me!

Georgia students in grades K-12 are eligible to submit artwork in three categories:

  • Visual
  • Writing
  • Film/Video

Winners and their teachers will receive prizes. Get more info and submit an entry.

View the Art Contest Entries

A Gallery Show of entries will be on display at the Trees Atlanta Kendeda TreeHouse (825 Warner St. SW) from Feb. 19 – 22 fom 10 am to 4 pm each day. RSVP to receive an emailed reminder.

Friday, Feb. 16

Atlanta’s Champion Trees 2024 List Announced

The annual list of new and changing rank of Atlanta’s Champion Trees will be published on Georgia Arbor Day. Of course! Read more about Trees Atlanta’s Champion Tree program. If you think you’ve spotted a new Champion Tree, please submit a nomination before Jan. 5.

 

Georgia Arbor Day Volunteer Projects

Arbor Day was founded specifically to teach and encourage students to planting trees. Today, Arbor Day is celebrated across the country by community members of all ages!

This special day is an extra special day for community tree organizations like Trees Atlanta. We organize hundreds of projects each year working with thousands of volunteers every week, but there’s something magical about planting trees on Georgia Arbor Day!

Please come join us and volunteer at one of many planting and tree care projects across metro Atlanta.

Volunteer projects are scheduled every week, year round! Whether you will be joining us for the first time or the 101st time, we’ll provide you instructions, tools, and guidance to successfully plant and care for trees!

Sign up for our email newsletters to keep up with all of our upcoming programs.

 

Why is Arbor Day in February? Isn’t it in April?

 

National Arbor Day is celebrated in April.  What you may not know is that each state celebrates Arbor Day from January to May depending on the regional season for planting trees.

The State of Georgia celebrates its Arbor Day on the third Friday in February. 

It is a day to reflect on the importance of trees in our state and across our nation. Scientific research is increasing adding to the evidence that trees are essential to global environmental health. So go plant a tree, play outside, enjoy the beauty of trees, create art inspired by trees, or honor trees in any way that pleases you!

 

History of Arbor Day

Arbor is the Latin word for “tree”, and Arbor Day is a celebration of trees! “The History of Arbor Day“, as written by the Arbor Day Foundation says:

Arbor Day was officially proclaimed in 1874 by Nebraska’s Governor, Robert W. Furnas, and the day was observed April 10 that year. In 1885, Arbor Day was named a legal state holiday in Nebraska, and April 22 was selected as the date for its permanent annual observance.

Historical photo of Arbor Day
Source: Arbor Day Foundation