Friday, Jan. 13
Greetings from Atlanta, Georgia, and the AmericasMart Gift Show. I love the energy and excitement of new products, new artisans and vendors, and all the buying and selling of such unique finds. There’s just no telling what you might find! There was also a Footloose flash mob this year (click to watch) , and while I can assure you that neither Christy nor I were in on the “mob,” we enjoyed it just the same.

HumaniTrees, by Joan Klostermann-Ketels, was one of Susan's picks for adult readers.

Even in the midst of this huge retail show, I’m reminded of what a small world it is! I was placing an order for some of the Tree Adventure’s best-selling plush animals and meanwhile, Diana Fusco of Atlanta is telling me how much she loves Arbor Day Farm since attending a wedding at Lied Lodge a short time ago. It’s fun to make those kind of one-on-one, personal connections, despite being far from Nebraska City.

Saturday, Jan. 14

How exciting today has been! I’ve been finding so many great new items around each corner that I see a sale in our future to make room for it all! Today I met Allen and Diane Davis from North Carolina who had beautiful wooden wine stoppers at Market. The photos I snapped don’t do them justice, but these stoppers will complement nicely Arbor Day Farm’s wine selections. Fun side note: Diane has a wonderful Shag Bark Hickory tree in her yard that she got some 10 years ago from the Arbor Day Foundation as a bare root tree. Another wonderful story!

Books for children and adults are the #1 best-selling item in our gift shop at the Tree Adventure. Today Denise Crawford of Atlanta showed me some of her newest titles, hot off the press! A few of my selections: “Friends of a Feather,” by Arlen Cohn, will keep the younger set entertained with fun, googly-eyed birds on every page; and “HumaniTrees,” by Joan Klostermann-Ketels, shares inspirational quotes and beautiful images of trees, branches, and trunks, revealing nature’s fury and grace deep in the woods. Look for them arriving in our shops in February and March.

Leaf-shaped sticky notes.

Another of my favorite finds today: really cool sticky notes in fabulous leaf shapes and  all sizes. The shading and textures are very true-to-life; looks like the real thing, right off the tree. Rochelle helped me choose just the right mix of colors, shapes, and sizes. Makes a great (and useful) gift idea. I know our shoppers enjoy items like these.

Sunday, Jan. 15
Yes, after two days in Georgia, I’m starting to talk with a southern drawl now. I’m sure my husband will get a kick out of that.

A gnoming we will go! I found some terrific new gnomes for our gift shop and for the ever-popular Gnome Hunt activity at the Tree Adventure. We would never have guessed that it would be so popular when we

Allen & Diane Davis show their collection of intricate wooden wine stoppers.

first offered it in 2010, but now it’s one of our most-booked activities. Travelocity was right… there’s just something endearing about those little gnomes.

Monday, Jan. 16
Heading back to The Good Life of Nebraska today. We’ve had the pleasure of meeting and working with such kind and hospitable people here in Atlanta. I truly think this has been the best Market experience ever. We can’t wait to show you all the new items, coming soon to the Tree Adventure and Lied Lodge gift shops.

Until then,
Susan (and Christy)

Nebraska’s Outstanding Nature Tourism Entity in 2011, and we hope you’ll visit soon.

“What is Arbor Day all about?” I ask this question of the visitors during my tours at the Tree Adventure and Arbor Day Farm. As you may expect, I get a variety of answers:  anywhere from planting trees to Johnny Appleseed to saving the planet. I tell them that they all are close, and explain the need to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. 

Throughout my summer as a Nature Interpreter Intern I have learned a lot, starting with the Arbor Day Foundation’s mission and now ending with heirloom varieties of apples. My time this summer, however, has taught me that Arbor Day is about more than just trees.

By working with groups of children from inner-city neighborhoods, I’ve had the opportunity to interact with those who rarely venture beyond their front door. I grew up with a tremendous exposure to nature and the outdoors, but many students, especially from urban areas, did not. They spend their days inside with the many screens (TVs, computers, videogames, etc.) keeping them occupied. This is often because it is safer inside than out, and because they don’t know what to do outside. When they get off the bus at Arbor Day Farm and learn they are going to be outside all day, they quite literally are on “sensory overload.” This can even entail screams, tears, and clinging to the interpreter. To these children, being outside for more time than it takes to walk from the house to the car is terrifying, and this is not an irrational fear on their part. They have never had the opportunity to spend significant amounts of time outside, and we fear what we don’t know. 

Thanks to the Arbor Day Foundation and the Arbor Day Farm Tree Adventure, I had the privilege of leading children through significant time in nature. We had lots of “first” experiences: seeing deer for the first time, being “actually in the woods” (as they would say), and learning that yes, woodchips really do come from trees. Most of the children left wishing they had more time in this natural setting.  The children I worked with this summer left with some knowledge of the world around them, and an introduction to the lessons nature has to teach. (My favorite lesson? Nature does not discriminate:  a mosquito will suck anyone’s blood.) Without J. Sterling Morton and his yearning to plant trees, these children would have spent another day inside.

So what is Arbor Day all about? To me, Arbor Day is about a lot more than trees. It is about appreciating the nature that surrounds us. Through the time I spent with children this summer at Arbor Day Farm, this lesson became apparent, it also became apparent that they would never look at nature the same way again. These little steps, child’s play, are helping to move cultures back to nature, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Hanna Pinneo is a Nature Interpreter intern at Arbor Day Farm Tree Adventure, majoring in Parks and Recreation at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She enjoys hiking, playing outside with her nephew and dog, and spending time with her friends. As a National Team member of the Natural Leaders Network, Hanna is dedicated to reconnecting all children with nature.

The happy family after their outdoor wedding ceremony at Arbor Day Farm.

It’s true! And on July 29, 2011, at 6:00pm, we had our first-ever wedding in the larger Nature Explore Classroom here at Arbor Day Farm. The happy couple is Trevor and Toni Dierkhising of Omaha, Nebraska, shown here with their sons Tyler and Jacob.

It was a lovely (warm!) summer evening, and we loved the bride’s choice of sunflowers, daisies, and wildflowers for her bouquet. They planned a beautiful ceremony set against a beautiful background of nature.

From all of us here at Arbor Day Farm, our sincere congratulations to the Dierkhising Family and may your marriage be protected by a sheltering tree.

When we think of forests, we think of trees, the wonders of nature, of sheer beauty, and clean, fresh air. We often don’t think about the water we drink.

We should.

Forests help snow melt and rain water soak into the soil to replenish rivers and streams during dry times. Trees stop silt from eroding into our waterways. They serve as natural filters to clean sparkling mountain streams, healthy lakes and reservoirs, and our nation’s vast web of rivers.

Why is that important to us? As U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said, “While most Americans live in urban areas, most of us depend on rural lands, particularly forest lands, for clean water and a healthy climate.”

One example is New York City. In the late 1990s, city leaders balked at a $6 billion water treatment system and instead opted for natural forest management to clean the water it receives from the Catskill/Delaware watershed in upstate New York. The focus is on creating conservation easements along streams and reservoirs, and protecting forest lands to keep sediment and runoff from entering the water supply. The watershed provides New Yorkers with more than 1 billion gallons each day of some of the cleanest, healthiest drinking water in the world.

Millions of Californians rely on crystal-clear water flowing from the San Bernardino National Forest and other California forests to quench their thirst.

In Colorado, the South Platte watershed, which rises high in the Pike National Forest, supplies Denver with drinking water.

In Scotland, trees in The Trossachs National Park protect nearby Loch Katrine, which provides Glasgow its water supply. These are just a few examples of how our dependence on clean water also depends on healthy forests.

 

One way of keeping our forests healthy is to plant trees. The need to replant our forests is vitally important because of damage from insects, disease and unprecedented wildfires. Every year, new areas in critical need of replanting are identified – places where fires burn so hot that the seeds of future forests are destroyed. While we don’t know where the critical needs will be 10 years from now, or 40 years from now, we do know that our forests will continue to need our help.

To mark its 50th Anniversary in 2006, Enterprise Rent-A-Car made a meaningful and significant commitment to help replant our forests through an enduring partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation. The Enterprise 50 Million Tree Pledge will plant 1 million trees every year for 50 years.

We are now in the sixth year of this partnership and, together, we will have planted six million trees where they have been needed most — in nineteen projects around the world thus far…including the San Bernardino National Forest, the Pike National Forest, and The Trossachs National Park in Scotland.

These six million new trees are just the beginning. Through the next 44 years, thanks to the vision and commitment of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the next 44 million trees will be planted wherever they will best serve people, our environment, and water resources for generations to come.

There is no substitute for clean water. Water is a vital resource that we rely on every day. We can’t create something else to take its place.

But we can plant trees.

The next time you turn on the tap, remember the role trees play in keeping our drinking water clean and safe. And when we next think of forests, we’ll think of majestic beauty, clean air, habitat for wildlife…and healthy, abundant water for this and future generations.

John Rosenow
Arbor Day Foundation

Full post available on the Enterprise Forewords blog.

The fox has something in it’s mouth — what do you think it is?

We’ll share more photos as we get them. Until then… sleep tight!

In particular, the trees in the Lied Lodge arboretum put on a spectacular show of reds, oranges, and yellows for a few short weeks every October. Call us “tree nerds,” but it’s typical for employees to say to one another, “Hey, did you see that sugar maple on the west side of the parking lot? Yesterday it was nice, but today it’s just phenomenal! My camera phone doesn’t do it justice, but here’s a photo I snapped while I was walking in today…” And then we whip out our cell phone and scroll through a few shots. Tree nerds, indeed. 

Last week we got a nice employees-only tour of the arboretum — we called it a Tree Walk — hosted by our on-staff arborist, Rod Edwards. Certainly Rod knows his trees, and he shared lots of interesting tidbits about this variety and that variety, and the benefits of planting this certain tree in this specific place. But what I’d forgotten was how Rod was actually THE GUY who planted most if not all of these trees in the arboretum that we were enjoying. Rod has been on staff at Arbor Day Farm since Day One back in 1993. He dug the holes for those trees; he toiled over the plan of which tree goes where; he sourced the nurseries from where those saplings came. Heck, he probably helped dig the hole for the foundation of Lied Lodge itself. He’s spent countless hours — years, really — nurturing the arboretum so that a staff member like me and thousands of guests can enjoy these trees everyday, year-round. 

Great job, Rod. We all say thank you. 

Beauty like this deserves to be shared. Check out our Flickr album of fall foliage at Arbor Day Farm . 
Feel free to post images of the fall color in your corner of the world, too. 

Amy Stouffer works at Arbor Day Farm as an executive assistant and marketing/web coordinator. Fall is her favorite season, the ginkgo is her favorite tree, and she fills her spare time with a variety of creative pursuits.

It rained on us a bit, but that didn’t put a damper on the fun. And let’s face it — Arbor Day Farm is the complete opposite of most people’s work environment, with all that green space and fresh air, and all those trees…

We put together this short video highlighting Bring Your Kids to Work Day 2010; kids say it best, don’t they? Enjoy.

Watch the Video — “Bring Your Kids to Work” Day, Arbor Day Farm Edition

It all started on a cold winter day in December with a little movie called “Swiss Family Robinson.”  This 1960 Disney Classic would spawn my ingenious idea that would later unfold at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City, NE.  As I sat on the couch with my girlfriend Melanie that day, I was informed multiple times how amazing the tree house in the movie was.  Being an interior designer, Melanie deeply admired the craftsmanship of that tree house, noting the clever design by the Robinson family.  She pointed out the awesomeness of it every chance she could.  By the end of the movie, I had no doubt that she genuinely wished she could live in a tree house.  As the credits rolled, I had my “Ah-hah!” moment.  That was it.  The engagement idea I had been searching for. 

I knew then and there that I had to propose in a tree house.

Disney's 'Swiss Family Robinson' inspired Brian's unique proposal idea

With the help of my friend Google, I searched the globe for the perfect tree house.  After almost deciding to fly out to Washington state, Google mentioned a place called Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City.  This was quite an improvement in location. I was filled with hope when I discovered that there was a 50-foot tall tree house smack dab in the middle of the Tree Adventure.  Without hesitation, I sent out an email proposing my engagement idea to a very helpful woman named Jennifer.  She was intrigued and wanted to discuss the idea with some of her colleagues.  Eventually I was introduced to Susan, and we began hashing out some ideas.  She was incredibly friendly and so easy to work with.  The emails flew back and forth as we made arrangements for the big day.  I made a trip down to the Farm a couple days prior to get comfortable with the surroundings.  It was a beautiful place, and I was feeling pretty darn good about everything.

After months of planning, May 15, 2010, came at last.  It was time to execute.  Two days earlier, the forecast was calling for a 50% chance of storms.  But as Melanie and I hopped in the car and headed down Highway 2, there were no ominous clouds in sight.  Those extra prayers I put in to the Big Guy were coming through.  As we cruised along, Melanie was all sorts of antsy.  I assumed she must have had an inkling about what was going to happen, although she knew nothing of my secret plans.  She asked me where we were going at least 20 times, and she couldn’t stand the anticipation.  Eventually we pulled into Lied Lodge in Nebraska City.  What a cool place.  We were both impressed by the originality, cleanliness, and upscale feel.  After dropping off our bags in our room, I informed Melanie that I had reserved her a surprise pedicure in five minutes at the hotel spa.  Surprised and excited, she headed out the door and down to the spa. Meanwhile, it was time for me to meet with Susan at the Tree Adventure and double check on all the plans over at the Farm.  Susan greeted me with a big hug and a smile.  I think she was as excited as I was.  We went over the plan one more time, making sure everything was ready.  Things were feeling right.  It was almost go-time. 

She said yes! Melanie and Brian after their treetop proposal

I picked Melanie up from the Lodge and we headed over to the Farm.  I expressed my concern to her about the Tree Adventure closing soon.  I told her I hoped there was still time to check it out.  We parked the car and strolled up to the entrance.  We walked in and were immediately greeted by Susan.  She told us that the Tree Adventure normally closes in 10 minutes….(look of distress on Melanie’s and my face)….BUT since they had a Girl Scout troop coming in later that evening, we could go ahead and take a walk around.  Yes!  Saved by the Girl Scouts!  Well, not quite.  Susan and I actually arranged that little situation as part of our plan.  She directed us outdoors and Melanie and I were off on the trails. 

We had a wonderful time hiking through the Tree Adventure.  We explored the wilderness, took pictures, and acted like goofballs as we trekked along the path.  I’m sure the birds and squirrels above in the trees were wondering who the two hooligans below were.  Eventually, we neared the end of the path.  Melanie asked me what we were going to do for dinner.  I told her I didn’t really have any plans and that maybe we could try to eat at the hotel restaurant.  With a ring of disappointment, she said, “Really?  You don’t have any plans?  Well, yea, I guess we could eat there.”  Little did she know, there was an incredible feast awaiting her in just a few minutes. 

We came to the last intersection of the trail.  We turned right (Melanie tried to convince me to go left) and made our way up the hill.  We reached the top and there it was, the 50-foot tree house in all its glory.  Melanie’s face lit up as she simply said, “Wow.”  After scoping it out, we started our ascent up the stairs.  We reached the summit and the moment of truth.  Melanie turned the corner and noticed the table sitting in the corner with a bottle of wine and two wine glasses.  She walked over to it with a big smile on her face.  She then turned around to find me on one knee in front of her, with a beautiful vintage ring in my hands.  I was so calm and collected up to this point, but now found myself shaking like a leaf!  I expressed my undying love and asked my Mellie to marry me.  

The perfect picnic for a perfect day

“Yes, of course I’ll marry you!”  

And with those words, she granted me the happiest moment of my life.  She slipped on the 1920s vintage ring (Melanie loves antiques and sells vintage clothing) and gave me a huge hug – and of course a nice smooch.  It was a beautiful scene atop that tree house as the sun was beginning to set.  

After our moment, I mentioned to Melanie that I had one last surprise for her.  We walked down the steps of the tree house to the platform area where a delicious picnic awaited us.  It included smoked meats, cheeses, crackers, organic fruit salad, Persian Baklava, organic dark chocolate, pecans, and wine.  I bought most of the food from the farmers market that morning.  Melanie was once again filled with awe and surprise.  We sat, ate, and took everything in.  We were both extremely happy and excited.  The weather was near perfect.  We couldn’t have asked for a better day.  (A background note – as we were hiking on the exploratory trail, Susan set up the wine at the top, and picnic below for us.  She was such a great help.) 

We finished our evening at Lied Lodge, and enjoyed the brunch buffet in the morning before heading out.  It was a wonderful weekend, and it  would not have been possible without the help of Susan, Jennifer, and the rest of the superb staff at Arbor Day Farm.  

Thank you so much for being a part of our engagement.  We will never forget our incredible day. 

Sincerely,
Brian Recker and Melanie Gillis 

Brian Recker is the K-5 Physical Education teacher for Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca Public Schools.  He has a passion for teaching others how to live a healthy lifestyle.  He has also become an organic gardener during the summers, practicing sustainable farming methods.

That’s the conversation I have had so many times with my children. As a mother of four, I find myself developing a reputation and not even realizing it. My children’s friends know me as that weird mom who makes us stop just to see the sunset, or just to see the colors of the distant trees. 

I am the Family Reunion Sales Manager at Lied Lodge & Conference Center at Arbor Day Farm. My heart is my work and my work is in my heart — I truly love what I do. When offered the opportunity to be a part of the Arbor Day Foundation, I had no idea how parallel the mission of the Foundation ran with what I believed in my heart about life in general. Through the near decade of time that I have been ‘inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees,’ it seems, somehow, that I am the one who has truly been inspired.  Through years of growing, my second nature of sharing stewardship of our world, realizing with amazement to understand how a seed really works, and just taking a moment to appreciate life around us – no matter where we are – is a perfect fit. It is as if the mission of the Foundation and me were hand-in-glove.

I grew up on a farm blessed with hard work and some very strong family traits of character and integrity that run deep through our family tree. Somehow, we had fun no matter how difficult the days of sunshine and labor provided. We were truly making memories each and every day. With our family gatherings being frequent, I was steeped in the notion of strong family bonds securing traditions and tying us one to another – just by being together. 

With aging, I developed a desire to then build those same traits in my own family and pass them along to the next generation. Cultivating creativity and making our own fun is something that we had to do, although roller coasters were not at the end of the block, either. Yet, we sure did have fun rolling down a hill of freshly mowed grass and playing hide and seek in the mound of leaves that whirled in the fall breeze at the foot of the timber. Fostering family values is vital to me, as our family builds each other up, supports each other when we are down, and celebrates each other’s accomplishments. The culture of our family is well-rooted in the strength of laughter, hard work, simplicity and sharing who we are with each other. Family, faith and fellowship are what I have found as ‘what really matters.’
 
Through my growth at Arbor Day Farm, it seems that doors of opportunity continually have opened so I can share my core values with those that I work with on a daily basis. Although I thrive on busy-ness and a rigid schedule, it seems that I gain the most when I just take a moment.  Take a moment to stop everything – stop my busy day of running and scheduling to just take a moment…maybe to see the apple blossom that turns into the base of the core of an apple – or to feel the mid-summer breeze as the sun sets to the symphony of chattering crickets – how about realizing there is a gift of new life in dying leaves as they fall to the earth each season –recycling at its best!! Or, slowing down in our hurricane of daily life just long enough to hear- shhh- the snow fall…now that’s truly amazing!

No matter the season, my wish is that each of us has the chance to take nature at its daily gift, embrace it and pass that gift along to someone we care about in the next generation. There are so many things that are important in life, and what is most important, we need to share those things that ‘really matter’ in the heart of our natural world – the gift of life, the gift of family – now that’s priceless.

Tina Layman lives near Pella, Iowa, and is an off-site Sales Manager for Lied Lodge & Conference Center at Arbor Day Farm. Her favorite tree is the Catalpa and she shares joy in new blooms of petunias and impatiens.  Between raising four children (aged 7 to 25) and some community volunteering, she’s happy to enjoy time with her husband, Tom, working on their small farm and making it ’home.’  Send Tina an email

But as a Conference Planning Manager for Lied Lodge at Arbor Day Farm, I get to surround myself with these natural elements every day. I know, I know… this is not the typical workplace setting. Many of you reading this right now trudge along in traffic to get to the office, circle endlessly in parking garages looking for a space, lug your stuff through the concrete jungle before sitting down in your cubicle for a solid eight hours and usually more. I feel your pain, and I sympathize.

Every day during my lunch hour, I take advantage of my prime surroundings and enjoy a brisk walk across Arbor Day Farm and through Arbor Lodge State Historical Park in Nebraska City. Now that spring is finally here, each day brings something new and beautiful to see.

These lunch-time walks started about a year ago as part of our all-staff fitness program to increase both physical and mental wellness among our employees. Now there’s a group of us that walk together about three days a week or more. We change our route each time, allowing us to see what’s new in our surroundings — which seasonal flowers are blooming, what animals we see busy making their homes in the forest. We enjoy all the benefits of the proverbial “water cooler chat” — catching up on each other’s personal and professional news — but without the donuts and time wasting.

These walks around the property also provide a good opportunity to talk about challenges we’re facing on projects or programs in our respective departments, and quite often, it’s during these walks when we come up with some of the best solutions. In less than 30 minutes, we’ve caught up, solved some issues, thought of new ideas, exercised, and enjoyed the best part of all …. the nature that surrounds us here at Arbor Day Farm.

Just like our group of employees has discovered, your work team can enjoy the same fresh perspective. It’s my job to find better ways to help my clients host energetic and successful events. I can relate to the need to get away from the day-to-day constraints and search out new ideas. Getting out and walking around Arbor Day Farm on my lunch break has helped me, personally, do the very thing that I encourage others to do.

Meetings don’t always need to be the 8-to-5 confined structure. If at all possible, choose a site that gets your team out of the cubicle, and out into the fresh air. Lied Lodge and Arbor Day Farm is just that kind of place; it offers so much more than tables, chairs and power point presentations. By changing the run-of-the-mill meeting format, you and your team can capitalize on the mental and physical benefits offered by natural light, fresh air, and a view of the surrounding trees. Exposure to these elements are actually shown to increase blood flow, which leads to increased brain activity, which leads to new ideas and new solutions to old problems. A walk on the trail with coworkers or group members encourages new perspectives and thoughts that otherwise might not have surfaced.

So think outside the cubicle for your next meeting, and get a fresh perspective you’ll find only on the outside.

Jennifer Phillips has been a Conference Planning Manager at Lied Lodge & Conference Center in Nebraska City for almost 7 years. When she’s not coordinating meetings, she enjoys spending time with her family.