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Design an Arbor Day Event

One Day, One Theme, One Voice

Georgia's Arbor Day theme unifies everyone with one message and goes a step further than environmental, economic and social benefits to link the role of city trees to making our communities healthier places. By joining together in this campaign, everyone can speak in one voice within the community and to the media, developers, businesses, and lawmakers.

J. Sterling Morton is credited as the father of Arbor Day nationally. He initiated the holiday in 1872 in Nebraska. The State of Georgia adopted the concept 115 years ago.  Then, in 1941 the Georgia General Assembly set the third Friday of each February as the day of our state Arbor Day.

Arbor Day presents an annual opportunity for Georgia's communities to reach across barriers of age, income, geography, culture, and politics to learn about the benefits of trees and to work at improving the state's tree population. No matter what resources you have, there is something that can be done that will help Arbor Day be successful.

Event/Activity Ideas

Arbor Day can be celebrated in many ways, and can be as large or small as you want to make it. Your Arbor Day program can range from a neighborhood gathering for planting trees in a park to a school-wide event or a week-long regional festival with activities for thousands of people.

The possibilities are limited only by your imagination, and your resources. To help, we have created a tool kit that has the logo and various materials you will need. If time, budget, and human resources are a concern, we ask you to click on your area's activities to join in with any of the other events being presented or create a program that meets your resource base. No matter what, you organization will be able to help convey the need for healthier trees.

Here are a few possibilities that may provide direction for your celebration:

• Hold an Arbor Day ceremony and honor the good stewards in your community. Choose people who have made a difference by advocating or accomplishing something environmentally significant within your community. Consider honoring people who have initiated or completed projects like establishing a tree planting or recycling program, identifying or planting an arboretum, or raising funds and getting permission for an outdoor learning center. If possible, seek nominations from the community.  

• Host a reception to honor the Tree Board members in your community. Invite representatives from city agencies and local citizens. Plant a tree at City Hall, and have the Mayor issue an Arbor Day Proclamation. Local school children can read poems about trees, and cookies and coffee can be served. If your community is a designated Tree City USA , the reception should honor this accomplishment. If not, work with your city or Georgia Forestry Commission forester to make your community a Tree City USA.  

• Choose a public park or downtown area that needs to be cleaned up and pitch in to clear it of litter. Recycle what you can and dispose of the rest properly. Ask residents within the area to help, and encourage everyone to maintain the area once the work is done. Sign a park care pledge and post it in the park shelter or on a bulletin board in a city building. Plant trees, flowers, and shrubs to beautify the area even more. Local volunteer organizations may already have the supplies and volunteer support that you need.

• Schedule classes on tree pruning, tree selection, tree identification, and tree planting. Charge a small registration fee and use the money to purchase trees for the participants, or buy one tree to plant on public property in honor of those attending the classes.

• Even with limited budget and staff you can have one of the following:

-  Host an Arbor Day Breakfast with key leaders and volunteers;

-  Give an award to an outstanding neighborhood garden, citizen group, or developer supporting "tree-friendly" values;

-  Distribute flyers throughout target neighborhoods or grocery/garden stores;

-  Use the day as a major volunteer recruitment and fun education day;

-  Promote consistent messages and initiatives about Georgia's Arbor Day theme through any publicity or promotions you plan; and/or

-  Update your website with Georgia's Arbor Day theme messages, and be sure to link it to the Georgia Forestry Commission's website for extra exposure.

Tips to Plan for Success

It is important that your event or activity has the best chances for success. To accomplish this, the following planning framework is given:

• Appoint a key individual who serves as the leader with a planning committee (vision, persistence, and inspiration to others).  

• Meet with a city forester, tree board, or horticulturist to identify the tree needs within the community, how to meet the needs with your program, and how to plan for the event and any post-event tree care.  

• Identify a clear goal on the basis of the purpose of conducting an event. Are you planting a tree, recognizing partners, or reading a proclamation? No matter if the goal is big or small, make it clear for everyone to embrace.

• Incorporate strategies and actions for activities, programs, and/or presentations (formal ceremonies should be brief - no more than 15 minutes).

• Match actions with financial resources and fundraising possibilities.  

• Construct a well-organized operations plan (timing schedules, logistics, contacts with experts and other groups, invites with detailed directions, speaker and entertainment arrangements, dignitary invitations, people to recognize at the event, subcommittee development, program agenda planning, local nursery for tree orders, proclamation signing, materials like brochures to give to attendees, plans for parking, etc.).  

• Develop a news release and effective media relations contacts. Send print and broadcast media news releases with directions to your event two weeks prior to your event. Send media alerts with detailed directions to the same media at the start of the week your event will be hosted and in the early morning hours of your event's date. Call print media at least two days prior to your event.  

• Fill volunteer jobs and give each volunteer detailed task descriptions.  

• Ensure needed supplies are on hand. Items may include a microphone, podium, chairs, refreshments, name tags, markers, news releases, certificates of recognition, Tree City USA flags, directional signage from parking area to event location, cameras to take photos, and tree planting items (e.g. tree, shovel, water, dirt, and mulch).

No matter what type of program you are planning, consider any or all of the following as basic program agenda elements:

• Flag presentation by scouts or veterans' groups;
• Comments by an elected official or community leader;  
• An Arbor Day Proclamation;  
• Recognition of and thanks to a community good steward of trees;  
• Announcements about Georgia's Arbor Day theme;  
• Tree planting (information on type of tree and proper planting procedures within this website; take photos for publicity and post-promotions);
• Sing songs, read poems, or present a play about trees or tree planting;
• Recognition of individual and group commitments to future projects;  
• Retire the flag, and sing a closing song; and/or
• Provide trees to those who want to plant trees in their own yards (each tree should have planting/care instructions attached to the tree itself).

Tips to Involve Municipalities

Embrace township, city, and/or county officials to give your program more meaning. Here are several ideas:

• Call the mayor, city council representatives, county commissioners, and/or public works and parks departments to determine how each can play a role in your event (e.g. invited guests, speakers, hosts of public sites, promotional information to their employee bases, etc.).
• Ask if there is public land where help is needed in tree coverage, and if you can host an vent on that site with support from their staff(s).
• Determine if your town, city, or county participates in the Tree City USA program. If not, ask officials if your group can help them meet the criteria and plan for your Arbor Day event to announce the start of the program on their behalf.
• Get each representative to sign a Proclamation on Georgia 's Arbor Day for your area, and seek media attention.