“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.

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.

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.

The tree shipping crew at Arbor Day Farm.

The Foundation’s tree order forms and special offers begin to arrive in our members’ mailboxes in the late winter and early spring months. About that same time the tree shipping team builds a plan to deliver all of the healthy, ready-to-grow seedlings at just the right time for your hardiness zone.  The entire plan is based on somewhat of a “right time, right tree, right place” method.  As we survey our projections of how many seedlings we believe we will ship, we begin to firm up the plan on how we will deliver the total volume of mail throughout the United States based on hardiness zones, weather, volume, etc.

With the plan in place and a target end date in mind, we begin the shipping process.  In 2011, we began on March 3rd and are targeting mid-May for finishing.

Currently we have 30 different species of seedlings that make up 40 different tree offerings for Arbor Day Foundation members.  All seedlings are stored in an on-site cooler at 38 degrees, which ensures good dormancy and keeps the seedlings fresh and the fungus threat low.  We paint a stripe across the tree stem and include a color-coded chart that helps the recipient identify the different tree varieties in the package (anywhere from five to 12 trees can be included in the same packet). After painting, the roots get inspected for health and are dipped in a water-holding gel that helps the roots retain adequate moisture during shipping.  The seedlings are then bagged, the appropriate paperwork is inserted, the bags are sealed, and the the appropriate mailing label is applied to the packet.  The packet then joins thousands of other packets of seedlings, and makes its way to your doorstep via the postal system. 

A color code system helps identify tree seedlings from the Arbor Day Foundation.

For those of you who might be near Nebraska City, this entire tree shipping process is open to the public for viewing. Stop in at the Apple House Market on Arbor Day Farm, 9am to 3pm during this shipping season (through mid-May), and you’ll find us working on what used to be known as the apple sorting floor. Feel free to watch us process lots of trees to lots of members all around the globe.

 By having a good plan, following it closely, paying attention to the weather, and inspecting the quality of theproduct, the Arbor Day Foundation tree shipping team ensures delivery of seedlings that not only you, the recipient, will be proud of, but a group of seedlings that have every chance of establishing themselves as the trees of tomorrow. 

We look forward to sending trees to you, too.

Adam

Adam Howard is the Manager of Nursery Operations at Arbor Day Farm and a Certified Forester with the Society of American Foresters. He has been in the forest industry for 11 years and contributes regularly to this blog. For more information on how you can receive trees from the Arbor Day Foundation, visit arborday.org.

We make good use of the trimmed branches, too. A few of them remain on the ground in the orchard, providing winter shelter and foraging options for a variety of animals. But for human enjoyment, apple wood is known for being an excellent wood for smoking meats, particularly pork. We haul some of the apple wood to the Timber Dining Room at Lied Lodge and to local barbecue restaurants, where it’s used to bring delicious, smoky flavors to your table.

The hours of winter maintenance in the apple orchard today make for tastier, more abundant apples in September. I hope you’ll come and see for yourself.

 Erik Olson is the Orchards Manager at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City, Nebraska. 

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.

The orchards that bloomed with pink and white flowers back in April are, by September, heavy with ripe, juicy apples of every variety. For an orchard guy like me, these are exciting days when you realize that all the work during the rest of the year was worth it.

We can thank Mother Nature for what’s shaping up to be a very good apple harvest for 2010. Nebraska’s wet spring and summer months gave the apple trees plenty of opportunities to “drink up”, resulting in fruit this fall that is slightly larger than normal. We also have about 1,000 honeycrisp apple trees that will come into production this year. Honeycrisps have a reputation of being the darlings of the apple world, and for good reason. They have exceptional flavor — which trumps all other qualities — but they also have good texture and snap, they’re great for eating fresh or for cooking, they store well, and they’re beautiful. You might say that honeycrisps are the “total package” when it comes to apple varieties.

Nebraska City’s Applejack Festival is September 18-19, and you can count on plenty of apples ready for picking that weekend. For many of you, this annual harvest time pilgrimmage to Nebraska City is something you and your family look forward to. If large crowds of people aren’t your favorite, but you still want a fun, memorable, you-pick apple orchard experience, come see us anytime through the end of October. Find your favorite apples on the Arbor Day Farm apple variety chart and time your visit when they’re ripe for picking.

See you soon in Nebraska City!

Erik Olson is the Orchards Manager at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City, Nebraska. Thinking of starting an orchard of your own? Shop for apple trees in the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Store.

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.

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.   

Speaking of the team… we thought maybe you’d like to meet us. We always look forward to visitors stopping in at the greenhouse, where we get to answer a few tree questions sometimes, or learn where our guests are visiting from. This is our chance to turn the proverbial tables, so to speak, and tell you a little bit about ourselves.  

Meet the Arbor Day Farm Greenhouse Staff (L to R): Adam Howard, Jan Bonham, and Kristy Edwards.

Kristy Edwards is originally from the Nebraska City, Nebraska, area and has been with the greenhouse operations for eight years. You might say Kristy comes by her green thumbs naturally, as she once owned and operated a landscape nursery and operates a local tree farm with her husband. She’s very much involved with the day-to-day duties of growing our crops, and she ensures that all of the Arbor Day Foundation’s Gift Tree orders are accurately processed and shipped in good health to customers around the country. In an average year, that’s approximately 300,000 to 400,000 gift trees!   

Jan Bonham also resides near Nebraska City, Nebraska, and has been with us for seven years. Apart from interacting with the other staff members, Jan says her favorite part of  the job  is helping trees mature all the way through from seed to shipping. And it’s a good thing, too, because if you’re an Arbor Day Foundation member — and there are more than one million of you — odds are very good that Jan herself has watered, propagated, and otherwise nurtured YOUR tree. As supervisor of the Membership Tree production line, Jan ensures that 3 million trees annually are processed and shipped to members and partners all over the United States, and maintains the day to day routine to grow upwards of 500,000 seedlings throughout the year.      

And then there’s me, Adam Howard. I’m originally from Alabama and have been the nursery operations manager at Arbor Day Farm for a little over two years.  My background is from the reforestation industry in the South where I managed a regional reforestation nursery.  Now I manage the complete nursery operations and tree shipping here at Arbor Day Farm, including our hybrid hazelnuts program.  Growing upwards of 500,000 seedlings on an annual basis and overseeing the procurement and shipping of 3 million trees is a challenge in its own right. I like the teamwork that our crew has developed in the recent past, knowing that we’re making a difference in the environment, and I enjoy the challenges that come from working in such a unique growing operation.  

So now that you know us, don’t be a stranger! We look forward to meeting and learning a little bit more about YOU on your next visit to the Tree Adventure and the growing operations at Arbor Day Farm.  

Email your hazelnut or other tree questions to Adam Howard at Arbor Day Farm.