LINCOLN, Nebraska – Joined by esteemed guests including Lt. Governor Joe Kelly and representatives from the Nebraska Forest Service, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, Arbor Day Foundation, and Lincoln Parks and Recreation, Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) celebrated Arbor Day by planting a Concolor Fir on the southeast lawn of the Nebraska State Capitol.

“Arbor Day is an exciting time of year, because planting trees is a commitment to the future,” said Tom Green, Nebraska Association of Resources Districts director. “Each sapling is the start of added protection, habitat and beauty for generations to come.”

Green was joined by Steve Glenn, Executive Travel chairman. In December 2021, Executive Travel announced a partnership with Nebraska’s NRDs to plant 1 million trees through the ETGreen campaign. In 2022 and 2023, the campaign funded more than 111,000 trees. And in 2024, Executive Travel committed an additional $65,000 for tree planting. This partnership gives Executive Travel the opportunity to assist local landowners in planting all 1 million trees in Nebraska.

“When Executive Travel was building the ETGreen initiative, we wanted to partner with a local organization dedicated to a sustainable future and a beautiful Nebraska,” said Glenn. “The NRDs work with a great network of local landowners who plant hundreds of thousands of trees annually.”

The choice of the Concolor Fir aligns seamlessly with the original landscape plans developed by Ernst Herminghaus, Nebraska’s first professionally trained landscape architect, who designed the capitol landscape plan to enhance the character of the building as viewed from the site and beyond. Over the past 27 years, the Capitol Commission has diligently replanted the same species in their designated locations, in accordance with the landscape blueprint established nearly 90 years ago.

Green noted that extreme weather events, diseases and invasive insects have impacted Nebraska’s tree population, making it vitally important to plant and maintain a diverse mix of tree species.

Since their inception in 1972, Nebraska’s NRDs have been planting conservation trees and shrubs for windbreaks, erosion control, wildlife habitat and other conservation purposes. In the past 52 years, Nebraska’s NRDs have planted more than 100 million trees.

Each NRD program varies, but possible tree program services include planting, weed barrier installation or weed control, and drip irrigation. For more information on cost share availability, designing a plan or ordering trees, contact your local NRD or visit www.nrdtrees.org.

Lt. Governor Joe Kelly and representatives from Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs), the Nebraska Forest Service, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, Arbor Day Foundation, Lincoln Parks and Recreation, and Trinity Daycare celebrated Arbor Day by planting a Concolor Fir on the southeast lawn of the Nebraska State Capitol on April 26, 2024.