Garrison staff members, all practicing social distancing and other protective measures, planted a tree during the installation’s 2020 Arbor Day observance April 24, 2020, at Fort McCoy, Wis.
For the ceremony held in front of McCoy’s Community Center, a single maple tree was planted to represent the importance of the day.
Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Hui Chae Kim read the Arbor Day proclamation to recognize Fort McCoy’s commitment to preserving forest lands and to observe the installation as a Tree City USA.
According to history.com, the origins of Arbor Day date back to the early 1870s in Nebraska City, Neb. A journalist by the name of Julius Sterling Morton moved to the state with his wife, Caroline, in 1854.
The couple purchased 160 acres in Nebraska City and planted a wide variety of trees and shrubs in what was a primarily a flat stretch of desolate plain.
Morton later became editor of the state’s first newspaper, Nebraska City News, which became a platform for Morton to spread his knowledge of trees and to stress their ecological importance within Nebraska.
On Jan. 7, 1872, Morton proposed a day that would encourage all Nebraskans to plant trees in their community.
An agriculture board agreed, and Arbor Day was born. The first Arbor Day was held April 10, 1872.
The tradition spread quickly. Within 20 years, Arbor Day had reached a large swath of the nation and was celebrated in every state except for Delaware.
It wasn’t until 1970, however, that Arbor Day became recognized nationwide, thanks to President Richard Nixon. This move was in line with other environmentally friendly actions taken by Nixon in the 1970s, including passing the Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, and National Environmental Policy Act.
Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.
The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services each year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”
Date Taken: | 05.11.2020 |
Date Posted: | 05.11.2020 15:36 |
Story ID: | 369739 |
Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
Web Views: | 11 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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