Arbor Day celebration set for April 11

Flowering Dogwood

Washington State Department of Enterprise Services will host its annual Arbor Day celebration from 9:30 to 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 11.

The event, which is open to the public, will include a ceremonial planting of a Cloud 9 Dogwood on the east side of the John A. Cherberg Building, and a presentation by students from the Capitol Campus Childcare Center.

Much of West Capitol Campus is a National Historic District with landscape features originally designed by the famous Olmsted Brothers. The firm also designed New York City’s Central Park and the grounds of the Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

“The Olmsteds’ vision was to have many more trees on Capitol Campus,” said state horticulturalist Brent Chapman. “This event is helping restore that vision one tree at a time.”

About Arbor Day

Washington State Arbor Day is a holiday that lands on the second Wednesday in April. It’s an observance that celebrates the role of trees in our lives and promotes tree planning and care.

The first Arbor Day was observed in 1872 in Nebraska, and the effort quickly expanded across the country. National Arbor Day is always celebrated on the last Friday of April, however many states observe the holiday on dates that support the best tree planting times in their area.

While most holidays celebrate something that has already happened, Arbor Day activities traditionally reflect a hope for the future.

Learn more
View the Trees of the West Capitol Campus brochure
Capitol Campus tours
Capitol Campus interactive map