November 9, 2011 (San Diego)– Mission Trails Regional Park will celebrate Arbor Day at the picnic area near the Visitor and Interpretive Center on Saturday, December 3 at 9 a.m. The public is invited to assist in planting trees including Engleman Oak trees and other native plants.
Donations of $100 per tree are being accepted, and donations to the Tree and Habitat Maintenance Fund for the park. To ensure the trees are available for all donors to plant, please make your tree donation by November 18.
Donations to the Tree and Habitat Maintenance Fund are accepted throughout the year. Please complete and mail the Arbor Day Donation form. Some shovels will be available on Arbor Day, but it would be helpful if you could bring your own. Gloves and comfortable shoes are recommended.
For further information, please contact the Mission Trails Visitor & Interpretive Center at (619) 668-3280 or visit mtrp@mtrp.org.
Arbor Day in Mission Trails is sponsored by City of San Diego Councilmember Marti Emerald, City of San Diego Park & Recreation Department, Mission Trails Regional Park Citizens’ Advisory Committee and Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation.
HISTORY: Arbor Day is a holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant and care for trees. It originated in Nebraska City, Nebraska, during 1872. The first Arbor Day was held on April 10, 1872, and an estimated One million trees were planted that day.
Without trees, the quality of most land ecosystems perishes. J. Sterling Morton, upon his arrival as a settler of Nebraska’s prairie, recognized this and set forth to plant trees.
The land that Morton, founder of Arbor Day, originally moved to in the 1800s is now a public site with an extensive array of educational, recreational, and social facilities. Arbor Day Farm and Tree Adventure offers outdoor recreation, nature-oriented amusements, conference facilities, historic buildings and machinery, a golf course, guided walking and riding tours, walking paths, wildlife, and a 50-foot-tall tree house is located in Nebraska City, Nebraska.
Two of Morton’s sons started famous companies, the Morton Salt Company and Argo Starch Company. Visitors to Arbor Day Farm and Tree Adventure receive a free tree to take home and plant with every paid admission.