By the time Duane and Jackie Smith turned the soil for a bur oak planted in their honor at Arbor Lodge State Historical Park on Saturday, Nebraska City has already planted enough trees to rival its first Arbor Day in 1872.
The Smiths, honored for community service and planting hundreds of white pine and red cedar trees to establish a wildlife refuge in rural Nebraska City, are carrying on the tradition established by J. Sterling Morton and his family, said author James Ballowe.
He said the Mortons were disappointed that there shipment of 800 trees arrived too late for the first Arbor Day in 1872, but they were delighted that their neighbors in Nebraska planted 1 million trees.
Mark Kemper, assistant superintendent at Arbor Lodge, said school children were said to have planted 1,000 trees.
A donation by the National Arbor Day Foundation of 800 tree seedlings this year, represents the largest tree planting by children since the first Arbor Day, said Assistant Park Superintendent Mark Kemper.
Northside elementary students planted 300 of the trees at the new school in holes that had been drilled by teachers. Kemper said it was a remarkable sight to see the kindergarteners, then the first graders and each class level come out to plant.
The remaining trees were distributed at children’s programs at Northside and Hayward. There were 35 of the 800 trees left over, and they are being given to the Boy Scouts’ Order of the Arrow for planting in southeast Nebraska.
At the community tree planting Friday, 10 new shade trees were planted at Wildwood Park, including oaks, linden, elms and locusts.
Mayor Jack Hobbie thanked the Arbor Day Committee, NCTC, city employees and team planters.
Kathy Kaufman of the Nebraska City News-Press presented the prestigious tree award to Julie Naberhaus and Sam O’Neil for their bur oak at 10th Street and Fourth Avenue.
Arbor Day Farm, Youth and Adults in Action, KNCY Country, Walgreens, Aflac, American National Bank, St. Mary’s Community Hospital, Boy Scout Troop 353 and Arbor Realty planted the trees.
