Georgia Arbor Day 2025 Celebration Week Feb. 14 – 22
Trees Atlanta Celebrates Georgia Arbor Day with a Week of Events: February 14 – 22, 2025
Student Art Contest | Love Letters to Trees | Love Your Park | Atlanta’s Champion Tree List | Winter Break Camp | Learn From Home | Speaker Series | Seedling Giveaway | Tour of Atlanta’s Champion Trees | Volunteer Projects | What is Georgia Arbor Day?
2025 Georgia Arbor Day Art Contest Gallery Opening
Kick off your Georgia Arbor Day celebrations at the gallery opening for our Art Contest winners on February 15! The winners’ work will be displayed at the Kendeda TreeHouse, and light snacks and refreshments will be provided for the winners’ family, friends, and fellow art enthusiasts. Learn more here.
Want to learn more about how students in K-12 can participate in our Georgia Arbor Day Art Contest and about the cool Amazon-sponsored prizes for our winners? Find out more information here.
Can’t make the gallery opening? You can still view the artwork during the Kendeda TreeHouse open hours from 9am-4pm on February 17 – 21. Learn more here.
Thank you to Amazon for supporting this year’s Georgia Arbor Day Art Contest.
All Week, Feb 14 – 22
Love Letters To Trees
Did you know Valentine’s Day and Georgia Arbor Day are just days apart each year? 💚 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:
1. Choose a tree that holds a special place in your heart.
2. Write a heartfelt notes, a short poem, or even a simple confession of appreciation.
3. Snap a photo, if you’d like.
4. 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!
Saturday, Feb. 1 – Saturday, Feb. 22
Love Your Park – And Restore It’s Forests with Trees Atlanta!
It’s almost February and love is in the air… so we’re calling on all volunteers to show some love to your park!
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 co-hosting Forest Restoration volunteer projects throughout the month with Friends of Park groups across the city. Volunteer will assist with hand-pulling and cutting invasive plants. See below for a list of project and links to register:
- Morningside Nature Preserve – Saturday, Feb. 1, 9am-12pm
- Underwood Hills Park – Saturday, Feb. 8, 9am-12pm
- Proctor Creek Greenway – Saturday, Feb. 15, 9am-12pm
- Kirkwood Urban Forest Preserve – Saturday, Feb. 15, 9am-12pm
- Atlanta Memorial Park – Saturday, Feb. 22, 9am-12pm
- Lake Claire Park – Saturday, Feb. 22, 9am-12pm
Monday, Feb. 17 – Friday, Feb. 21
Junior TreeKeeper Winter Break Camp
Winter is a time for resting, resetting, and… PLANTING! Join us this winter as we play and explore our neighborhood greenspaces while learning about what happens to our trees when it gets cold outside! Each day of camp will highlight all the wonderful changes that occur in Atlanta’s urban forest during the winter time, and celebrate the season as a time for rest and growth. Campers will explore parks and greenspaces on their bikes, riding on the Atlanta Beltline, and will participate in a real-deal Trees Atlanta tree planting project. Come join the winter fun!
Winter Break Camp Registration opens on January 6 at 12pm.
Tuesday, Feb. 18
Learn From Home – Check out our Arbor Day Playlist on the Trees Atlanta YouTube Channel
Dive into our YouTube channel for expert tips on the best tree planting and tree care techniques. These videos will guide you step by step on how to grow a thriving urban forest from your own backyard. Watch, learn, and get planting.
Wednesday, Feb. 19
Speaker Series: Guardians of the Canopy – Protecting, Restoring, and Celebrating Atlanta’s Old-Growth Forests
Wed Feb 19 | 7pm – 8:30pm | Kendeda TreeHouse Join us for Trees Atlanta’s 2025 Georgia Arbor Week Speaker Series: An evening with Dr. Sarah Adloo, Executive Director of the Old Growth Forest Network. The Old-Growth Forest Network is the only national network in the U.S. of protected, old-growth, native forests where anyone can experience biodiversity and the beauty of nature. As we continue to plant new trees for the future, Sarah shares the importance of old-growth forests, how you might know you’re in one, and inspires us to protect, restore, and celebrate the magnificent old-growth forests we have in Metro Atlanta and across the United States.
Thursday, Feb. 20 & Friday, Feb. 21
Adopt a Tree Seedling!
To celebrate Georgia Arbor Day, we’re giving FREE seedlings for adoption! 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.
Tree Seedling Selections (Subject to Change):
Pick-up Location: Trees Atlanta Kendeda TreeHouse, 825 Warner St SW Atlanta, GA 30310
Pick-up Hours: Thursday, 12pm – 5:30pm
Friday, Feb. 22
Atlanta’s Champion Trees 2025 List Announced
The annual list of new and changing rank 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.
Saturday, Feb. 22
Field Trip: Tour of Champion Trees
Sat Feb 22 | 2pm – 3:30pm | Herbert Taylor Park In honor of 2025 Georgia Arbor Week, Trees Atlanta and Park Pride are co-hosting a Tour of Champion Trees. Some of the trees in this park are 150-180 years old! This public park is a member of the Old-Growth Forest Network, and home to several of Atlanta’s Champion Trees! This tour will be led by Park Pride’s Director of Education Eli Dickerson, Park Ambassador and Friends of Herbert Taylor Park Greta Hutto, and Trees Atlanta Docent Priya Sarathy. Join us to learn more about the Champion Tree Program, and about opportunities to connect with groups and organizations that can help protect Atlanta’s Champion trees and forest.
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 and care 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 planting and tree care 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 Vine City – Fri Feb 15 | 9am-12pm | Vine City
- Forest Restoration in Legacy Park – Fri Feb 14 | 9am-12pm | Decatur
- Forest Restoration in Proctor Creek Greenway – Sat Feb 15 | 9am-12pm | Grove Park
- Tree Planting in East Lake – Sat Feb 15 | 9am-12pm | East Lake
- Tree Planting in the Villages at Carver – Sat Feb 15 | 9am-12pm | The Villages at Carver
- Tree Planting in the John Lewis Flowering Forest – Fri Feb 21 | 9am-12pm | Poncey-Highland
- Tree Planting in the John Lewis Flowering Forest – Fri Feb 22 | 9am-12pm | Poncey-Highland
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!
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: December 18, 2024
