Arbor Day

Florida Atlantic University will hold its annual Arbor Day Celebration Friday, April 26 at 10 a.m. at the Robert J. Huckshorn Arboretum on the John D. MacArthur Campus in Jupiter.

Arbor Day is a national holiday observed every year on the last Friday in April and encourages the planting, upkeep and preservation of trees. This year’s event at Florida Atlantic will celebrate with the theme biodiversity.

Guest speakers include a welcome from Brian Nichols, Ph.D., associate professor of science and environmental education in the College of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction, and a keynote address from Kelsie Bernot, Ph.D., instructor of biology in the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College.

Additional activities include a plant giveaway and a poetry walk that showcases the intersection between nature and creativity.

“Urban forests like the Robert J. Huckshorn Arboretum serve as the green arteries for our cities, enhancing local biodiversity, ecosystem services and the connectivity of our natural areas, while also enriching the landscape for people," said Alana Edwards, education and training coordinator in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science’s Center for Environmental Studies. “By celebrating Arbor Day, we affirm our commitment to expanding and maintaining these vital green spaces, ensuring that they continue to thrive and support both nature and us."

The Huckshorn Arboretum is named in honor of Florida Atlantic’s vice president emeritus and founder of the John D. MacArthur Campus. The arboretum is planted with Florida native plants, including typical species found in pine flatwoods, tropical hardwood hammocks, mixed hardwood swamps and oak hammocks. For the past 12 years, the campus has been awarded the Tree Campus Higher Education distinction by the Arbor Day Foundation.

The Arbor Day Celebration is presented by the College of Science’s Center for Environmental Studies, which manages the arboretum in partnership with the Jupiter campus administration. In-person attendance is encouraged and open to the public. A livestream of the event will also be available. Light refreshments will be served.

To register for the Arbor Day Celebration, visit https://forms.gle/BiGXPzM1G5w9cfNQ6.