Georgia Arbor Day 2026 Celebration Week Feb. 15 – 21
Trees Atlanta Celebrates Georgia Arbor Day with a Week of Events: February 15 – 12, 2026
Student Art Contest | Speaker Series: Dr. Doug Tallamy | Georgia Arbor Day Proclamation | Atlanta’s Champion Trees | Ask the Arborist | Tree Seedling Giveaway | Winter Break Camp | Workshop: Rooted Right | Field Trip: Urban Wildlife Safari | Love Your Park Projects | Volunteer Projects | Love Letters to Trees | What is Georgia Arbor Day?
2026 Georgia Arbor Day Art Contest
Get the Georgia Arbor Day celebration started at the Gallery Opening for our Art Contest winners on February 14, from 12 – 1:30pm. The winners’ work will be displayed at the Kendeda TreeHouse. Learn more and register for your free ticket here.
Can’t make it to the Gallery Opening? You can still view the artwork during the Kendeda TreeHouse open hours from 9am – 4pm on February 16 – 20 during the Gallery Showing. Get an email reminder.
Saturday, Feb. 7
The Importance and Impact of a Homegrown National Park Movement in the City in the Forest with Dr. Doug Tallamy
Sat Feb 7 | 4 – 5:30pm | Kendeda TreeHouse Join Trees Atlanta for a special Georgia Arbor Month 2026 Celebration featuring Dr. Doug Tallamy, acclaimed author, conservationist, and co-founder of the Homegrown National Park movement.
Atlanta’s iconic tree canopy is a defining feature of our “City in the Forest,” but it faces growing challenges. Our parks and preserves, no matter how grand in scale, are too small and separated from one another to sustain the native trees, plants, insects, and animals on which our ecosystems depend. Every yard, streetscape, and neighborhood greenspace can become part of the solution.
Dr. Tallamy will share how the Homegrown National Park initiative empowers individuals and communities to help restore biodiversity right where we live. By planting native trees and plants, reducing lawn, and removing invasive species, we can reconnect the fragmented patches of our urban forest into vibrant corridors of life.
Together, we can grow a living network of native habitat across Atlanta to ensure that our canopy continues to shelter the city for generations to come.
Monday, Feb. 16
Atlanta City Council – Georgia Arbor Day 2026 Proclamation
Join this presentation at the full City Council meeting on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 at 1:00pm in the Marvin S. Arrington, Sr. Council Chamber. Location: Atlanta City Hall – 55 Trinity Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30303.
Monday, Feb. 16 – Friday, Feb. 20
Junior TreeKeeper Winter Break Camp
Winter is a time for resting, recharging, and… planting! Join us this winter as we explore our neighborhood greenspaces to discover what happens to the natural world when the temperature drops! Each day of camp will explore the amazing transformations taking place in Atlanta’s urban forest during the colder months, celebrating winter as both a season of rest and renewal. Campers will explore local parks and trails by bike via the Atlanta Beltline, and even take park in a hands-on Trees Atlanta volunteer project (we may plant a tree or two!) Come experience winter in the urban forest with us!
Winter Break Camp is a biking camp – there are no non-biking options. All campers must know how to confidently ride a two-wheeled bicycle in order to attend all seasonal break camps.
Wednesday, Feb. 18
Ask the Arborist: How to Plant Your Arbor Day Seedling for Birds, Bees, and Beyond
Wed Feb 18 | 12-1pm | Virtual Planning to pick up your free Georgia Arbor Day tree seedling? Get ready at this virtual Ask the Arborist session with Trees Atlanta and Georgia Forestry Commission. You’ll learn about the native tree seedlings that will be available, how to find the right place to plant them, and learn tips from experts to help your young trees thrive for years into the future. Come prepared with questions!
Friday, Feb. 20
Georgia Arbor Day Tree Seedling Giveaway: Trees Supporting Birds, Bees, and Beyond
Fri Feb 20 | 12pm – 5:30pm | Kendeda TreeHouse To celebrate Georgia Arbor Day, we’re giving away FREE tree seedlings! Every tree planted on Georgia Arbor Day helps clean the air and water, beautify neighborhoods, provide homes for wildlife, conserve energy, and prevent soil erosion. This year, our seedlings were specifically selected to support habitats for birds, bees, and beyond.
Trees Seedling Selection (subject to change):
- Quercus alba – White Oak
- Taxodium distichum – Baldcypress
- Catalpa bignonioides – Southern catalpa
- Quercus rubra – Northern red oak
Friday, Feb. 21
Atlanta’s Champion Trees 2026 List Announced
The annual list of new and changing ranks of Atlanta’s Champion Trees will be published during our Georgia Arbor Day Celebration Week. Read more about Trees Atlanta’s Champion Tree program. If you think you’ve spotted a new Champion Tree, please submit a nomination.
Sunday, Feb. 22
Field Trip: Urban Wildlife Safari at Clyde Shepard Nature Preserve
Sun Feb 22 | 10am – 12pm | Clyde Shepard Nature Preserve Ready to take your learning outdoors? Join Trees Atlanta, the Amphibian Foundation, and Birds Georgia for the in-the-field portion of our winter Trees and Animals event series! Together, we’ll stroll through Clyde Shepard Nature Preserve, exploring everything from the forest floor to the canopy above. Along the way, our experts will point out features of the forest that help—or hinder—Atlanta’s native wildlife, and share how small habitat choices can make a big difference.
Saturday, Feb. 28
Workshop: Rooted Right – Potting, Pruning, and Transplanting Young Trees
Sat Feb 28 | 3-4pm | Kendeda TreeHouse Celebrate Georgia Arbor Month with a hands-on workshop at Trees Atlanta’s tree nursery! Learn proper potting techniques to give our young trees a strong start. Our Nursery Manager, Cate Hughes, will demonstrate root correction, up-potting, and proper planting techniques. The seedlings being potted, pruned, and transplanted will one day be planted in the Atlanta metro area!
All February
Love Your Park – Join us for this citywide volunteer initiative!
It’s almost February and love is in the air… so we’re calling on all volunteer to show some love to your parks!
Join neighbors, friends, and family in this Atlanta-wide volunteer initiative to beautify our city, build community, and give back to the parks that give so much to us. City parks will be beautified in February with volunteer projects for all ages and abilities.
Trees Atlanta will be hosting Tree Planting and Forest Restoration projects throughout the month in parks across Atlanta. View the list of participating projects and click the link to register:
- Tree Planting in Morningside Nature Preserve – Sat Feb 7 | 9am – 12pm
- Forest Restoration at the Outdoor Activity Center – Sat Feb 14 | 9am – 12pm
- Forest Restoration in Kirkwood Urban Forest – Sat Feb 21 | 9am – 12pm
- Tree Planting in Underwood Hills Park – Sat Feb 28 | 9am – 12pm
- Forest Restoration in Lake Claire Park – Sat Feb 28 | 9am – 12pm
- Forest Restoration in Atlanta Memorial Park – Sat Feb 28 | 9am -12pm
- Forest Restoration in Ormewood Forest – Sat Feb 28 | 9am – 12pm
Georgia Arbor Day Volunteer Projects
Arbor Day was established to teach and inspire people, especially students, about the importance of planting trees. While Arbor Day is celebrated nationwide, Georgia Arbor Day is a particularly meaningful occasion for our state and our communities.
For tree organizations like Trees Atlanta, Georgia Arbor Day holds a special place in our hearts. Throughout the year, we organize hundreds of tree planting, tree care, and forest restoration projects with thousands of dedicated volunteers. But there’s something truly magical about coming together on Georgia Arbor Day to plant trees and celebrate the lasting impact they bring to our neighborhoods.
Join us in honoring Georgia Arbor Day! Volunteer with us at one of our many volunteer projects across metro Atlanta. We welcome everyone, from first-timers to seasoned tree planters, and provide all the tools, guidance, and instructions you’ll need to make a difference.
- Tree Planting in John Lewis Flowering Forest – Fri Feb 20 | 9am – 12pm
- Forest Restoration in Connally Family Cemetery – Sat Feb 21 | 9am – 12pm
- Tree Planting at the Carter Center – Sat Feb 21 | 9am – 12pm
- Tree Planting in John Lewis Flowering Forest – Sat Feb 21 | 9am – 12pm
- Forest Restoration in the Agnes Scott Greenspace – Sat Feb 21 | 9am – 12pm
- Forest Restoration in the Kirkwood Urban Forest – Sat Feb 21 | 9am – 12pm
Volunteer opportunities are available every week, all year round. Sign up for our email newsletters to stay in the loop about upcoming programs, and don’t miss the chance to Plant a Tree for Georgia Arbor Day!
All Week, Feb. 15 – 21
Love Letters to Trees
Did you know Valentine’s Day and Georgia Arbor Day are just days apart from each other? Coincidence? We think not! After all, what better symbol of love is there than trees?
To celebrate Georgia Arbor Day this year, we invite you to share the love by writing Love Letters to Trees!
How to participate:
- Choose a tree that holds a special place in your heart.
- Write a heartfelt note, a short poem, or even a simple confession of appreciation.
- Snap a photo, if you’d like.
- Submit your Love Letter to Trees.
We’ll highlight a few submissions during our Georgia Arbor Day Celebration Week!
Click here to explore other Love Letters to Trees to get inspired!
Why is Arbor Day in February? Isn’t it in April?
National Arbor Day is celebrated in April, but each state celebrates Arbor Day from January to May depending on the regional season for planting trees. The State of Georgia celebrates its Arbor Day on the third Friday in February!
Georgia Arbor day is a day to reflect on the importance of trees in our state and across our nation. Scientific research is increasingly adding to the evidence that trees are essential to global environmental health. So this Georgia Arbor Day, go plant a tree, play outside, enjoy the beauty of trees, create art inspired by trees, or honor trees in any way you can!
History of Arbor Day
Arbor is the Latin word for “Tree,” and Arbor Day is a celebration of trees! “The History of Arbor Day,” as written by the Arbor Day Foundation says: “Arbor Day was officially proclaimed in 1874 by Nebraska’s Governor, Robert W. Furnas, and the day was observed on April 10 that year. In 1885, Arbor Day was named a legal state holiday in Nebraska, and April 22 was selected as the date for its permanent annual observance.” Read More
Source: Arbor Day Foundation
Posted: January 7, 2026
