Thank you for joining us on Wednesday, April 14th to celebrate Vancouver's 2010 Arbor Day observance. The ceremony took place at Marshall Community Park in the Mayor's Grove from 11 a.m. to noon. View the celebration at CVTV.

Vancouver, along with the State of Washington, celebrates Arbor Day on the second Wednesday in April. Vancouver also recognizes Arbor Month with many other tree-related events throughout April.

Arbor Day is a nationally-celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and tree care. Founded by J. Sterling Morton, National Arbor Day is celebrated each year on the last Friday in April. Today, all 50 states and many Canadian provinces celebrate this holiday every spring, although the actual date of Arbor Day varies from state-to-state due to differences in climate.

The first Arbor Day was celebrated in the state of Nebraska in 1872, in response to a state proclamation urging settlers and homesteaders in that prairie state to plant trees that would provide shade, shelter, fruit, fuel, and beauty for residents of the largely treeless plains. On that first Arbor Day, more than one million trees were planted in Nebraska's communities and on its farms. The Arbor Day idea was promoted by J. Sterling Morton, editor of the Nebraska City News, who later helped the idea spread to neighboring states and eventually to all of the United States and many other nations.

For more information about Arbor Day visit the National Arbor Day Foundation website.