National Arbor Day celebrates the importance of trees
H ave you ever imagined a world without trees? Trees are a vital part of the earth’s ecosystem. Trees offer protection for farmland, provide shade for homes and streets, and trees also help fight the greenhouse effect. There is a national recognition day that celebrates the importance of trees to the environment. National Arbor Day is celebrated each year on the last Friday in April. Julius Sterling Morton (1832 – 1902) founded Arbor Day. Morton was born in Adams, New York and he graduated from the University of Michigan in 1854. Later, Morton and his wife Caroline Joy French moved to Nebraska. Morton served as acting governor of Nebraska from December 5, 1858 to May 2, 1859. President Grover Cleveland appointed Morton as the 3 rd U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, a position he served in from 1893 to 1897. In addition to being an agriculturalist, Morton was a journalist. He was the editor of the Nebraska City News – Nebraska’s first newspaper. Morton was a conse