Read the full article on KETV 7
One hundred and fifty-four years after the first Arbor Day, J. Sterling Morton’s legacy lives on in Nebraska City.”It’s really the place where it all began,” Rachel Hrabik, marketing manager for Arbor Day Farm, said.Nebraska City, Morton’s hometown, went all out for its annual Arbor Day Festival, but ultimately, it’s a reminder to be thankful for the trees.”We invite people to come back and do exactly what the Mortons did in 1872 and plant trees,” Hrabik said. “If you come to Tree Adventure this weekend, you’re going to get a free tree to take home and plant in your own backyard.”Residents took the chance to highlight some of their best, like the lilac collection.”We have the largest here in the state of Nebraska with over 200 cultivars, so if you weren’t a lilac fan before, I guarantee you will be one after you check it out here,” Hrabik said.The festival was filled with fun activities, both indoors and out.”You can check out the Apple House Market. We have a plant sale and we’ve got wine and cider tasting going on,” Hrabik said. “We have a conservation trail that’s nearly 10 miles of hiking and walking trails that will connect you from the farm to the Lied Lodge.”It wasn’t all just fun and games, though. There was also history to learn.”I’m actually standing in front of the Arbor Lodge State Historical Park Mansion, which is the place where J. Sterling Morton and his family lived,” Hrabik said.
One hundred and fifty-four years after the first Arbor Day, J. Sterling Morton’s legacy lives on in Nebraska City.
“It’s really the place where it all began,” Rachel Hrabik, marketing manager for Arbor Day Farm, said.
Advertisement
Nebraska City, Morton’s hometown, went all out for its annual Arbor Day Festival, but ultimately, it’s a reminder to be thankful for the trees.
“We invite people to come back and do exactly what the Mortons did in 1872 and plant trees,” Hrabik said. “If you come to Tree Adventure this weekend, you’re going to get a free tree to take home and plant in your own backyard.”
Residents took the chance to highlight some of their best, like the lilac collection.
“We have the largest here in the state of Nebraska with over 200 cultivars, so if you weren’t a lilac fan before, I guarantee you will be one after you check it out here,” Hrabik said.
The festival was filled with fun activities, both indoors and out.
“You can check out the Apple House Market. We have a plant sale and we’ve got wine and cider tasting going on,” Hrabik said. “We have a conservation trail that’s nearly 10 miles of hiking and walking trails that will connect you from the farm to the Lied Lodge.”
It wasn’t all just fun and games, though. There was also history to learn.
“I’m actually standing in front of the Arbor Lodge State Historical Park Mansion, which is the place where J. Sterling Morton and his family lived,” Hrabik said.
