Inmanycountriesithaslongbeenthetraditiontoholdanannualtreeorforestfestival.Theoriginofsuchcelebrationsdatesbacktoantiquityandisinthedawnofreligiousfeelingandaweforwhattreesrepresented.However,ArborDay,asitiscommonlyknowntoday,isofAmericanoriginandevolvedfromconditionspeculiartotheGreatPlains.ItwasfirstobservedinNebraskain1872.

　　Theidea,conceivedbyJ.S.Morton,thenamemberoftheNebraskaStateBoardofAgriculture,wasoneofforestconservation.Itwasamovetopromotereplanting,followingdeforestation,andtoplantuptreelessareas.Theideahasspreadwidelytootherlandswhereitisvariouslycelebratedasthe'FestivalofTrees','GreeningWeek'ofJapan,'TheNewYear'sDaysofTrees'inIsrael,'TheTree-lovingWeek'ofKorea,'TheReforestationWeek'ofYugoslavia,'TheStudents'AfforestationDay'ofIcelandand'TheNationalFestivalofTreePlanting'inIndia.ArborDayinitsvariousformsisnowrecognisedinmorethanfiftycountries.

　　THEIMPORTANCEOFARBORDAY

　　OnArborDay,particularattentionisdrawntotheparttreesplayinourlives.It'snotjustadaytoplanttreesandthenforgetthegestureforanothertwelvemonths.Plantingatreeonedayisnocredittousif,duringtherestoftheyear,weneglecttocareforitandthosealreadygrowing.OurthoughtonArborDayshouldbeanexpressionofenduringfeeling,thoughtandactionandnotjustonesingle,isolatedflameofinterest.

　　Inschoolsandothercommunitygroups,thisdaycanbecelebratedinmanydifferentways.

　　·Byplantingtreesorshrubsinschoolgrounds,alongneighbouringstreetsorincivicparks.

　　·By'adopting'apatchofbush,withthelandowner'sconsent,andcaringforitbyremovalofweeds,rubbish,etc,bypreparingfirebreaksandbyfencingandmakingpathstoreducetrampling.

　　·BypresentingaplayormimeabouttreesinthehistoryofAustralia.

　　·Bycompletingaprojectaboutcertaintypesoftrees(eg.jarrah,boab,karri)orafamoustreeliketheGloucesterTreenearPemberton.

　　·Asaclassactivityorcommoninterestgroupgoonavisittoabushareawithaspokespersontoexplainthecharacteristicsofplantspeciesandtheirnicheinthenaturalenvironment.

　　·Collectsometreeseeds,germinatetheminaclassroom,andplantouttheseedling.

　　·Carryoutidentificationoftreesinaspecificpartofyourschoolorneighbourhood.Atreelabellingceremonycouldalsobearranged.

　　·Compilealistofeverydayobjectsthataremadeofwoodorwood-basedmaterials,andfindouthowthewoodwasprocessed,whereitcamefromandwhateverelseyoucan.

　　Treesandshrubs,whethernativeorintroducedtoWA,provideopportunitiesfortheinterestandstudybythewholecommunity,andwhenwewalkaroundourownneighbourhoodordrivethroughthecountryside,wecanappreciatetheimportanceofsuchadiversityofplantstothewellbeingofhumanity.