Know the difference between Earth Day, Arbor Day and Native Plant Month this April

This week, we will be celebrating both Arbor Day and Earth Day. The entire month of April has been designated as Native Plant Month. Each of these distinctions are great for bringing awareness to ways in which we can all help improve our environment.

Arbor Day, Earth Day and Native Plant Month each have their own following. This is because, on their own, each one has its own separate mission. I think it's great that they all fall close to each other because, combined, they share a common purpose of improving and protecting the environment.

What is Arbor Day?

The first Arbor Day was celebrated on April 10, 1872, in Nebraska. It was estimated that a million trees were planted in Nebraska that day. Today, all states celebrate Arbor Day, most of which observe the holiday on the last Friday in April (April 26 this year). It's been estimated that 500 million trees have been planted on Arbor Day in the United States alone. Arbor has spread from the United States to countries throughout the world.

When Arbor Day was first established, no one was thinking about climate change. However, people did know and appreciate the benefits of trees. They knew trees clean the carbon out of the air and turn it into oxygen and that planting more trees is the best way to reduce carbon emissions. Today, with the focus on climate issues, we should never lose focus on the greatest benefit trees provide for us.

Trees benefit the environment while also providing personal benefits to you. Trees planted in the right location in your yard can reduce utility bills. Trees will also increase your property value. Studies have also shown trees to reduce stress. Trees truly have the ability to make you happier.

What is Earth Day?

Earth Day was first recognized in 1970 which was the year the Environmental Protection Agency was created. Each year, Earth Day has a specific theme to bring awareness to a specific environmental issue. The theme for Earth Day 2024 is Planet vs. Plastics. The theme aims to raise awareness of plastic pollution, reduce single-use plastic consumption, demand an end to fast-fashion, invest in technologies that can reduce plastic use and demand a 60% reduction in the production of plastics by 2024.

Some people think Earth Day is just for those fanatic environmentalists. Earth Day is about awareness. You might not consider yourself an environmentalist, but you can easily contribute to improving the environment.

Consider this year’s theme to reduce plastics; do you recycle? Do you drink from a reusable water bottle? Do you take your own bags to the grocery store? These are all simple things that a lot of people don’t do, but they should.

What is Native Plant Month?

In Ohio, the entire month of April has been designated as Native Plant Month. On July 18, 2019, Governor Mike DeWine signed the bill into law that designates April as Ohio Native Plant Month. This made Ohio the first state in the country to have a law recognizing the importance of native plants for an entire month.

Of these three topics, Native Plants is the one that deserves an entire month. Native plants are extremely important because they are needed for a sustainable environment. Native plants are needed to support wildlife and are necessary for biodiversity, which has been declining over the years.

Some people advocate planting native plants exclusively, and forgetting about plants that are known as cultivars. I am not one of those people. I think each person should choose the plants they like. At the same time, I encourage everyone to start looking at natives. You will find some really fun and interesting plants in the native plant section at your favorite garden store.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The difference between Earth Day, Arbor Day and Native Plant Month