Editor’s Note: We asked our intern, Hanna, to write a blog post about her Arbor Day Farm experience this summer. Below is her contribution. Thank you, Hanna, and may you touch many more lives in nature in the years ahead.

“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.

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Trees, Water, and Sustainability

Apr 26 by Lied Lodge Blog in Arbor Day, General, Nature, Trees tagged Arbor Day Foundation, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, forests, planting trees, watershed with 1 comment

 

The Arbor Day Foundation works with many corporate partners to continue the important work of tree planting. Enterprise Rent-a-Car is one such partner. The following is a guest blog post by the Arbor Day Foundation’s founder and chief executive, John Rosenow, as posted to the Enterprise Forewords Blog on 4/26/11.

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.

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The Greenhouse Report: Tree Shipping Season

Apr 15 by Adam Howard in Arbor Day, General, Greenhouse, Trees tagged with no comments

 

Happy Spring, everyone!

What a great time of the year here at Arbor Day Farm.  The soil temperature is rising, the buds are swelling, the bulbs are breaking through the ground, and the tree seedlings are heading out the door.  Our annual spring tree shipping season is upon us and I thought I’d describe what it takes to seamlessly send more than 2.5 million seedlings to all of our Arbor Day Foundation members during Spring 2011. 

As you might expect: It all starts with a great plan.

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Winter Maintenance in the Apple Orchard

Jan 27 by Erik Olson in Apples, General, Orchards & Apples, Trees tagged apple tree care, apple wood, Arbor Day Farm, orchard, orchard maintenance, tree care, tree pruning, winter orchard with 2 comments

 

Apple orchards are popular places at two distinct times of the year – during the spring bloom, when branches are covered in pink and white flowers, and in the fall, when crisp, juicy apples are ready for harvest. Most people don’t realize it, but wintertime in an orchard is important, too. Attention to detail in the off-season makes both the bloom and the harvest better.

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Fall Foliage Tour at Arbor Day Farm

Oct 27 by Amy S. in Fall Foliage, General, Leaves, Nature, Trees tagged Arbor Day Farm, autumn, fall foliage, leaves, Lied Lodge, trees with 2 comments

 

So we’ve shared on this blog before some of the inherent perks of working at Arbor Day Farm, but during the fall time of year, as our workplace is surrounded by trees with leaves in every color, it’s hands-down gorgeous. 

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Apple Harvest at Arbor Day Farm: A Preview

Aug 31 by Erik Olson in Apples, General, Orchards & Apples, Trees tagged apple harvest, apple tree, Applejack Nebraska City, Apples with 5 comments

 

Here in the orchards at Arbor Day Farm, September signals the true start of the apple picking season. A few early varieties (like Paulared) were ready by late summer, but September is when a majority of apples really turn the corner from almost ready to primetime for picking.

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A Tree House Proposal

Aug 03 by Lied Lodge Blog in Engagement Proposals, Nature, Tree House, Trees, Weddings tagged Arbor Day Farm, Lied Lodge, treehouse proposal, unique engagement ideas with 6 comments

 

 

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.

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The Greenhouse Report: Meet the Staff

Jul 13 by Adam Howard in General, Greenhouse, Hazelnuts, Trees tagged Arbor Day Farm, greenhouse, tree nursery, tree seedling with 1 comment

 

It takes a dedicated team to grow hundreds of thousands of tree seedlings every year, as we do here in the greenhouse operations at Arbor Day Farm.  

Granted, we’re a small team of just three individuals, but it’s inspiring to think about the future forests that literally pass right through our hands every season.  It’s rewarding work.  We share ideas, we listen to one another, we solve new challenges, and everyone’s opinion is regarded  in the decision making process. This team approach is ingrained in the culture of our unique nursery setting.   

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