Gov. Evers, DNR Encourage Wisconsinites to Celebrate Arbor Day

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), today encourages the public to celebrate Arbor Day by planting trees, attending Arbor Day events, or learning about Wisconsin’s rich conservation culture. Arbor Day, an annual observance promoting tree planting and care, has been celebrated in Wisconsin on the last Friday of April since 1883. Arbor Day also marks the end of Forest Appreciation Week, which began on April 21 and is a time to reflect on the importance of rural and urban forests. The governor’s 2025 Forest Appreciation Week and Arbor Day proclamation is available here.

To celebrate Arbor Day, Wisconsinites can attend a community-hosted Arbor Day event, complete online activities on the DNR’s Arbor Day webpage, or watch step-by-step instructions on how to plant a balled and burlapped tree and a tree from a container. Wisconsinites celebrating Arbor Day can add their tree to the Wisconsin Tree Planting Map, which is available here.

“Whether folks are spending the day planting trees or working to conserve the acres of forests across our state, today we celebrate our state’s forestry industry and the critical resources forests provide to our state, promoting clean air, preserving natural habitats, and bolstering our statewide economy,” said Gov. Evers. “As governor, I remain committed to protecting Wisconsin’s vast and vibrant forests, uplifting our forest product industries, and meeting our Trillion Trees Pledge goals of planting 100 million new trees across the state by the end of 2030.”

Wisconsin is home to 17 million acres of forests that cover nearly half of the state, as well as millions of urban trees that safeguard water resources, provide wildlife habitat, and support the state’s forest industry while providing outdoor recreation opportunities, supporting human health, and mitigating impacts of the changing climate. Additionally, according to the DNR, a well-managed urban forest increases property values, reduces stormwater runoff and erosion, improves air quality, and reduces energy used for heating and cooling.

“Urban forests filter air and water, control stormwater, conserve energy, and provide shade, cooling our communities by up to 10 degrees and helping prevent heat-related deaths. They also add beauty to our urban environments, reduce noise, and provide nearby places to recreate,” said DNR Urban Forestry Team Leader Jeff Roe. “Research has shown that neighborhood trees reduce stress, improve health and development in children, and encourage physical activity.”

In celebration of Earth Day, Arbor Day, and Forest Appreciation Week, earlier this week, Gov. Evers announced the release of Wisconsin’s Trillion Trees Pledge 2024 Annual Report. The report shows that Wisconsin planted nearly 10.7 million trees and conserved more than 57,000 acres of forestland in the state in 2024 as part of Wisconsin’s Trillion Trees Pledge. On Earth Day 2021, Gov. Evers signed Executive Order #112, joining the pledge and committing to plant 75 million new trees and conserve 125,000 acres of forest in Wisconsin by the end of 2030. Last year, on Earth Day, Gov. Evers signed Executive Order #221 increasing the state’s tree-planting goal to 100 million trees by the end of 2030.

In just the fourth year of the state’s Trillion Trees Pledge, Wisconsin has already achieved more than 40 percent of its tree-planting goal and more than 60 percent of its forest conservation goal. Wisconsin’s pledge is in collaboration with public, private, and non-governmental partners and focuses on planting, managing, and conserving forests and trees in both rural and urban areas throughout the state.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.