Arbor Week 2000, Henderson, Nevada, winner of one of three Celebration Awards for programs that best represent the spirit of the tree planters' holiday. Since Henderson’s first one-day celebration in 1997, the event has grown to an entire week and has tripled the number of participants. Arbor Week 2000 reached almost 1,400 students, teaching them about trees and the urban forest and involving them in a poster contest, educational programs at area parks, and relevant classroom preparation. Planting ceremonies were also held at all participating schools, with each student receiving a one-gallon pine tree. Texas Tech University’s Arbor Day 2000, Lubbock, Texas, winner of a Celebration Award. On April 28, 2000, more than 500 volunteers helped plant over 24,000 trees, shrubs, and flowers on the southern Texas campus. The effort was spearheaded by Campus Caregivers, a group made up of campus and community volunteers and founded by Debbie Montford, wife of Chancellor John Montford. One of the event’s themes, "Arbor Day 2000—Plant a Tradition,” echoed Texas Tech’s first Arbor Day celebration and large-scale tree planting project, held on March 2, 1938. The Town of Westlake, Texas, recognized with this year’s third Celebration Award. A highlight of Westlake’s Arbor Day Celebration was the unveiling of the town’s special Arbor Day Heritage Quilt. The quilt was pieced together from the leaf-patterned quilt packets completed by 54 of the town’s 85 families. The official Arbor Day Celebration included a community dinner, entertainment and guest speakers, a tree planting, and the distribution of a small tree to each participant. Leaders in tree planting and environmental stewardship from around the country and world will be honored by The Arbor Day Foundation at its 28th annual Arbor Day Awards celebration to be held in Nebraska City, Nebraska on Saturday, April 29, 2000. The awards ceremony is part of the Arbor Day weekend celebration held in Nebraska City from April 28-30. Award winners are recognized for their leadership in the cause of tree planting, conservation, and environmental stewardship. |