Arbor Day and Week is an ideal time to celebrate trees and the benefits they bring. Besides helping humans by cleaning the air and beautifying our outdoors space, trees are also beneficial to our non-human friends – the animals and plants around us, by providing habitat and food. It is also a great time to promote environmental stewardship.
Since late last fall, suggested Arbor Day / Week activities have been sporadically included the Regional Rambler. Please see below for a summary of ideas and activities you can do as part of your Arbor Day / Week celebrations.
Suggestion #1: Six adult volunteers each invite 1 or 2 children or youth to participate with them – meet together – talk about trees and favourite trees – plan how to access trees, seek public or private places for possible planting- perhaps report to congregation – have some fun doing all this. Celebrate and share stories and share questions. Explore what the Bible verse “Everyone shall sit under their own fig tree” means.) Micah 4:4.
Suggestion #2: For a starter, everyone is invited to write a letter to a tree. Find ways to share these letters in worship, at refreshments time, or on-line. Example: Dear Old Maple: You were old when I met you in Grandma Z’s backyard. You had three great trunks and branches to climb on. One had an old swing. I used to tell you stories and you always listened to my complaints. Even thinking about you now helps me smile and even feel healthier.
Suggestion #3 Plan a pilgrimage – this could take the place of a regular church service for a small congregation, or be a special event for a group, or an open invitation to everyone. Begin with a Gathering Time – include an explanation, description of the route, prayer, perhaps a hymn. Let’s assume 6 stopping places: Stop #1 ( near a place where there is a special tree or group of trees/shrubs) Here we give thanks for trees and their value to our community – a naming, a silent time of reflection. Stop #2 we give thanks for the tree planters in our community over the years (naming -with a community affirming after each name of person/group). “Thanks be for those who plant and nurture.” Stop #3 Remembering a tree or trees of special significance in our own lives – a communal “thankyou” to each and all who shared a story or just a “naming”. Stop #4 a listing of the variety/diversity of trees/shrubs around us – and the unique feature of each i.e. colour in the fall. Stop #5 Trees as messengers – call to awe/worship, call to consider interdependence, call to reflect on the stages of life, call to care for creation. Stop #6 where a tree can be planted – encourage everyone to feel the earth, the water. As many as possible dig/prepare the soil, and plant – consider your community – planters, nurturers, people of hope, joy, trust and love. The tree of blessing!
Suggestion #4 This suggestion was received by Walter (Farquharson): As a fun activity in the congregation pass out slips of paper and pencils. Invite each person to finish this sentence: “I would like to be like a tree …” Gather these up and read them aloud. Remind people that they can all participate somehow in celebrating and hopefully planting a tree (or trees) as a way of celebrating creation as part of our call to be church! While you are writing your idea, you are invited to access a delightful new song – lyrics by Clark Saunders, retired UC minister and music by Craig Cassels. To play and listen, checkout this youtube video of the song “I Want to be Like a Tree”.
Suggestion #5 In preparation for Arbor Day / Week 2026, Walter Farquharson has once again created and is sharing a full service. The service has been created to be very flexible. Everyone can use it – by one leader, by a couple of folks or by using several voices. You can use all, parts or adapted parts of the service. A new original piece of music is included in the package. Here is the service in Word format so communities of faith can easily create their own bulletin.
To see last years’ material, here is the link to the 2025 Arbor Day / Week post. Walter is encouraging communities to include his hymn Young Apples Trees , he generously offered for use during last year’s Arbor Day Service.
If you have questions or activities you would like to add tot eh Arbor Day list, please contact Bev Diebert at bdiebert@united-church.ca or Walter at farq.blueheron@sasktel.net .
