Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton This American Elm is the 2022 Arbor Day tree as well as the site of an Arbor Day event set for Friday at noon.

Friday is Arbor Day.

And a small celebration will be observed downtown along with the planting of a Princeton American Elm.

The event will take place Friday at noon in front of the Warren County Chamber of Business & Industry’s office at 308 Market St.

Mayor David Wortman will be on hand to present a proclamation and District Forester Cecile Stelter will present the Tree City USA recognition to the city. Each recognizes the city’s commitment to maintaining a healthy urban forest.

It marks the city’s 34th consecutive year receiving the recognition, one of the longest streaks in the state.

Paula Bogart will share the history of the elm species being planted and City Arborist Joe Reinke will talk about planting trees more generally.

According to the Arbor Day Foundation, a Nebraska editor and secretary of the Nebraska Territory J. Sterling Morton, who was passionate about planting trees, proposed a tree planting holiday to the State Board of Agriculture in 1872.

“The celebration date was set for April 10, 1872,” according to the Foundation. “Prizes were offered to counties and individuals for the largest number of properly planted trees on that day. It was estimated that more than 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day.”