ARBOR DAY FESTIVAL TO BE CELEBRATED IN DOMINION WEDNESDAY

Taupo Times, Volume VI, Issue 286, 1 August 1957, Page 5

ARBOR DAY FESTIVAL TO BE CELEBRATED IN DOMINION WEDNESDAY

OiM'e a jiear all over Ihe world, a festival of trees is Bonoured by schools and other organisations, and this week we in New Zealand wiil be participating in just such a festival by celebrating Arbor day next Wednesday, The history of man reveals that many t.housainds of years ago our Furopean ancestors were awafe of tlie vaiue and uses of forests and their rrees. In fact, one of the greatest influences upon early ciilture in Britain was that brought from Europe by migrating tribesmeii some 10,000 years ago — tribes whose culture has coiue to-be known as the "Forest People." Even here in New Zealand we learn of the profound respect which the early Maori had for the forest and its creatures. Tliere are many legends, songs and poems in Polynesian folklore that tell us of Tane, god of the forest and father of its creatures.

Began In Amerlea Yet, strange to say, our Arbor Day testival is the result of a Nebraska farmer's plan to reafforest the barren plains of that part of the United Stat.es ; and it was as recent as 1S72 that this man, J. S. Morton, first Instituted it as a day of national treeplanting. Apart from the commoniy used Arbor Day or Arbor Week, similar festjvals are observed in otlier lands, and given such names as "Tree-loving week"' of Korea, "Students Afforestation Day" in Iceland, the "National Festival of Planting" in India, and "Greening Week" in Japan. Variations in climate eliange the optimum for planting, and in consequence we find tree-plantlng celebrations are always in progress somevvhere in the world. Within the United States itself Arbor Day dates vary considerably for this reason.

Neither name nor date is important for such a festival, as long as its aims are fulfilled. Those aims are to foster a full appreeiation of the true yalue of trees, their beauty and utility. Forests proteet a country's sbil, and conserve its water ; they shelter our farms, adorn our eities, and provide ftie! and building: material for lndustry.