春天是个百鸟争鸣，万物复苏的季节。

　　3月12日是植树节。这一天，天空中的白云犹如扬帆起航的轻舟，慢慢地浮动。太阳公公也暖洋洋地照着大地。小兰肩扛铁铲，小明一手拿着买来的树苗，另一手提着水桶，两个人高高兴兴地一起去公园后山植树。

　　他们俩到了公园后山一看，哇！人可真多呀！只见三五成群的人们有的在挖坑，有的在填土，还有的在浇水。大家干得热火朝天。小明和小兰也找了个位置，忙开了。小兰先两手紧握铁铲，卖力地挖起坑来。只见她把挖起的土堆在土坑旁边。小明看土坑差不多深了，就小心翼翼地把树苗的根放在大小合适的土坑里，蹲着身子，两手扶住小树苗。这时，小兰又小心地用土坑旁边的一小堆土把放着树苗的坑填平。小明站起身子，拿起水桶去打来了一桶水，将水浇在土坑上。树栽好了，小树苗笔直地站在了土地上。

　　一阵春风吹来，他们俩感到了丝丝凉意，都用手擦了擦脸上的汗水。两只“小花猫”你看看我，我看看你，都禁不住哈哈大笑了起来，笑声弥漫了整个公园的后山。

　　The first Arbor Day took place on April 10, 1872 in Nebraska. It was the brainchild of Julius Sterling Morton （1832-1902）， a Nebraska journalist and politician originally from Michigan. Throughout his long and productive career, Morton worked to improve agricultural techniques in his adopted state and throughout the United States when he served as President Grover Clevelands Secretary of Agriculture. But his most important legacy is Arbor Day.

　　Morton （photo, right） felt that Nebraskas landscape and economy would benefit from the wide-scale planting of trees. He set an example himself planting orchards, shade trees and wind breaks on his own farm and he urged his neighbours to follow suit. Mortons real opportunity, though, arrived when he became a member of Nebraskas state board of agriculture. He proposed that a special day be set aside dedicated to tree planting and increasing awareness of the importance of trees. Nebraskas first Arbor Day was an amazing success. More than one million trees were planted. A second Arbor Day took place in 1884 and the young state made it an annual legal holiday in 1885, using April 22nd to coincide with Mortons birthday.

　　In the years following that first Arbor Day, Mortons idea spread beyond Nebraska with Kansas, Tennessee, Minnesota and Ohio all proclaiming their own Arbor Days. Today all 50 states celebrate Arbor Day although the dates may vary in keeping with the local climate. （State Arbor Days） At the federal level, in 1970, President Richard Nixon proclaimed the last Friday in April as National Arbor Day. Arbor Day is also now celebrated in other countries including Australia. Variations are celebrated as Greening Week of Japan, The New Years Days of Trees in Israel, The Tree-loving Week of Korea, The Reforestation Week of Yugoslavia, The Students Afforestation Day of Iceland and The National Festival of Tree Planting in India. Julius Sterling Morton would be proud. Sometimes one good idea can make a real difference.

　　For the homeowner, Arbor Day is an excellent opportunity to take stock of the trees on your property and plan for the future. Inspect your trees. Note any broken branches or evidence of disease or insect infestation. Think about how planting new trees might improve the look of your property or provide wind or heat protection. Take a trip to your local nursery to see whats available and to get new ideas. Walk around your neighbourhood. Are there any public areas where tree planting or tree maintenance might make a real difference to your community? Talk with your neighbours. Find out what their opinions are. And, oh yes, plant a tree.