Early American Musings

We have been driving across Nebraska. On my first trip in 1984, the drive across Nebraska is etched into my memory. The Greyhound bus took Route 30 — the route we had been following — and I remember being shocked by the size of the state. It took us a whole day to cross it, and it isn’t a particularly large state. One thing that has surprised me this time while driving across the state is the number of trees. I have a picture in my head of Nebraska as mile upon mile of cornfields and open plains, but it feels as heavily wooded as England.

One reason for this may be that we have been mainly driving along the Platte River so far, and the valley has always been more heavily wooded.  But also the impact of tree planting. This is quite clear around small towns and farmsteads, where there is a clear windbreak and screen of trees.  Additionally, the impact of National Arbor Day has encouraged tree planting in Nebraska, in particular.

In 1872, J. Sterling Morton, a journalist and politician with a passion for agriculture and conservation, proposed a tree-planting holiday to the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture. On the first Arbor Day, April 10, 1872, more than one million trees were planted. The idea took root quickly. By 1885, Arbor Day had become a legal holiday in Nebraska, and other states soon followed. Schools played a pivotal role, with children encouraged to plant and care for trees as part of their education. This civic engagement helped Arbor Day evolve into a movement that transcended state lines and political divisions, ultimately planting trees across Nebraska.
The holiday went national in 1970 when President Richard Nixon declared the last Friday of April as National Arbor Day. The move was part of a broader environmental push during a decade marked by the first Earth Day, the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency, and landmark legislation such as the Clean Air Act.

Arbor Day has encouraged people across America, particularly on the Plains, to plant trees, and this has had a significant impact on the environment. I couldn’t help but think about the role of Johnny Appleseed in Ohio, spreading fruit trees across the early state.

One thing we have noticed, though, is a large number of clumps of dead trees. I was told that these are likely to be ash trees killed by the Emerald Ash Borer. Hopefully, this can be kept in control.

Certainly, I was not expecting to see so much woodland in the West.