This year marks the 150th anniversary of Arbor Day. You might be thinking—wait, didn’t Arbor Day already happen? Yes, in fact it was on April 29. However, the city of Edina is publicly observing it on May 6—and you’re welcome to join.
At 10 a.m., citizens can join city forester Luther Overhold and the park maintenance staff at as they plant trees at Rosland Park. Participants will get a demonstration of how to properly plant trees, with guidance and tools provided through a partnership with the Tree Trust, a nonprofit in St. Paul. Overhold’s goal is for the group to plant 200 trees (22 different species)—his biggest Arbor Day planting to date.
May 6 is also the official kickoff to the NextGen Trees planting program funded by the city of Edina’s American Rescue Plan Act dollars. Through this grant, Overhold will oversee the planting of 1,000 trees in the city of Edina over the next year. His goal is to diversify Edina’s urban forest, make it more resilient and climate adaptable while also planting trees where they’re most needed around the city.
Arbor Day was first observed in 1872 in Nebraska. Today, Arbor Day is celebrated in all 50 states, with National Arbor Day being observed the last Friday in April. (However, individual states vary their dates based on the best tree-planting weather.) On a local level, the city of Edina commemorates Arbor Day each spring through the planting of trees around the city. —Amy Overgaard
All ages. Free. 10 a.m., May 6. Rosland Park, 4300 W. 66th St.; 952.927.8861; edinamn.gov
