“Be-Leaf” in Yourself

CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS/ AUGUST 5TH, 2021

Arbor Day at Upper Canada College in 1898 Source: Library and Archives Canada/ George Raleigh Parkin fonds/ PA-100787

Arbour Day is observed on the last Friday in April and it started with the early settlers of Canada and the United States. By the 1850s almost all of Southern Ontario’s forests were cleared, largely as a result of farmland expansion and the lumber industry. In the late 1800s, some settlers began to become upset with the changes in the landscape. Civic beautification became a large concern, and as such the settlers began planting trees, bushes, and flowers in an attempt to restore nature’s beauty. This great day of planting became known as Arbor Day.

Arbour Day was vastly celebrated by the schools in the 1800s. School children would have a day off from their schoolwork to devote their time to cleaning up the schoolyard, planting new flowers, and educating themselves on the importance of nature. There is documentation from some schools explaining what the day would consist of. In most cases the morning was spent raking the yard, cleaning up brush, and planting flowers. The afternoon would be committed to a grand picnic and games in the yard. 

Arbour Day was not just about the aesthetics, settlers recognized that as a result of the deforestation the ecosystem was being altered and the wildlife began to disappear. Arbour day was an attempt to restore the habitats the settlers destroyed and an attempt to revive the once thriving ecosystems surrounding them. 

Today in Canada we celebrate an entire week devoted to the preservation of our ecosystems. Arbour week in Ontario is often celebrated from the last Friday in April to the first Sunday in May. Canadians also celebrate National Forest Week (NFW) and Maple Leaf Day. NFW falls on the last full week of September and encourages the same ideals as Arbour Day. Canadians are encouraged to plant trees, pick up trash, and take care of the land. Maple Leaf Day falls on the last Wednesday of September during NFW and is devoted entirely to the Maple tree. 

Days and weeks like this are important to our ecosystem. Even though you should always be aware of how you are treating the land, NFW, Arbour Day, and even Earth Day serve as a reminder of just how important our forests and wildlife are. 

𝓗𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 & 𝓜𝓲𝓪