III.1. Proclamation Commemorating Arbor Day; Larson
CITY OF HOPKINS
City Council Report 2026-035
To: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
Mike Mornson, City Manager
From: Mikala Larson, Sustainability Specialist
Date: April 21, 2026
Subject: Proclamation Commemorating Arbor Day
RECOMMENDED ACTION
MOTION TO adopt a proclamation commemorating Arbor Day in Hopkins.
OVERVIEW
Arbor Day dates back to the early 1870s in Nebraska City. A journalist by the name of
Julius Sterling Morton moved to the state with his wife and purchased 160 acres in
Nebraska City and planted a wide variety of trees. Morton spread his knowledge of trees
and stressed their ecological importance to Nebraska. And on January 4, 1872, Morton
first proposed a tree planting holiday to be called “Arbor Day” at a meeting of the State
Board of Agriculture. After the board passed the resolution, more than one million trees
were planted on the first official celebration of the day on April 10, 1872.
Trees are an important part of Hopkins and are identified in multiple City plans as
solutions to challenges like extreme heat, flooding, air quality, and community resilience.
The City’s Forestry team is made up of dedicated, skilled individuals who maintain and
expand Hopkins’ urban tree canopy.
The City of Hopkins is a recognized Tree City USA community and is committed to
preserving a healthy and robust tree canopy. This year, Arbor Day is on Friday, April 24th.
Arbor Day is a day of recognition and celebration of the benefits and beauty trees provide,
with the intention that Arbor Day can be celebrated every day of the year.
On April 24th from 4 p.m. – 5 p.m., the City of Hopkins is holding a community celebration
of Arbor Day. The event will take place at Lot 600, 11 10th Avenue S., where community
members can participate in a community tree mulching activity and check out the City's
new tree planting system.
Next Steps
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a proclamation celebrating April 24,
2026, as Arbor Day.
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
• Proclamation Commemorating Arbor Day in Hopkins
Engineering
A Proclamation Commemorating Arbor Day
WHEREAS, in 1872, the Nebraska Board of Agriculture established a special day to be
set aside for the planting of trees in recognition that trees are an essential resource that
make our homes and communities more livable and beautiful; and
WHEREAS, the Hopkins Climate Solutions Plan establishes a 2030 target to plant 400
trees each year to achieve carbon reduction and resilience goals; and
WHEREAS, the City of Hopkins is a Tree City USA community and recognizes that trees
can be a solution to combat climate change by cleaning the air, conserving energy,
reducing impacts from extreme heat, filtering water and minimizing flooding, and providing habitat
for wildlife; and
WHEREAS, each year people across the country celebrate Arbor Day and pay special
attention to the treasure our trees represent, while we as a society become more aware
that human activities, along with acts of nature, threaten our trees, creating the need for
action to ensure the future of our urban forests; and
NOW THEREFORE, I, Patrick Hanlon, Mayor of the City of Hopkins in the State of
Minnesota, along with my fellow Council Members, recognize, adopt, and proclaim April
24, 2026, as Arbor Day in the City of Hopkins, and urge all residents to be more aware of
the importance of trees to their well-being, and to participate in tree planting programs
that will ensure a healthy and green city.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set
my hand and caused the Seal of the City of
Hopkins, Minnesota to be affixed this 21st day of
April 2026.
Patrick Hanlon, Mayor