Arbor Day

Celebrate Arbor Day!

A Time to Celebrate Trees

Arbor Day is a national observance that celebrates the role of trees in our lives and promotes tree planting and care. First celebrated in 1872, it was established as a way to encourage farmers and homesteaders to plant trees that would provide shade, shelter, food, fuel and beauty to open areas. In New York, Arbor Day is traditionally celebrated the last Friday in April. However, communities around the state can celebrate Arbor Day any day of the year.

Unlike other holidays, many of which honor people or past events, Arbor Day promotes a better future. Young people are our future foresters and leaders. This day reminds us to share our knowledge with today's youth of the importance of trees and how to care for them.

You can celebrate Arbor Day by:

• Submitting a photo in the annual poster contest
• Planting a tree – Learn how to plant a tree
• Attending a tree planting celebration in your community – check with your city, town, or village for details
• Try out the ideas in our Celebrate Arbor Day booklet (PDF)
• Trying out suggestions from the Arbor Day Foundation to celebrate with your community
• Visiting the teacher resources page for themes, lesson plans, and more for students and youth
• Participate in the DEC School Seedling program
• Invite kids to visit the Arbor Day Foundation's Tree Education page for fun online activities
• Download our tree tags (PDF) and share photos of them on trees around town or in the local park. Community members will be shocked by the value and benefits of the trees in their neighborhood!
• Check out i-Tree MyTree, a simple web application that will calculate the benefits of trees in your neighborhood. You only need to know a few key facts about your tree: the species, condition, diameter, and sun exposure.
• Create a neighborhood street tree walk with sidewalk chalk – learn to identify tree species and where they’re from and share it with your neighbors

Image Credit

Abigail Bernard

Arbor Day Poster Contest

Each year photographers and artists of all ages are invited to submit original artwork to be considered for the State Arbor Day Poster. DEC prints thousands of posters for distribution to schools, the New York State Fair, and Arbor Day celebration events in Tree City USA communities, and other venues. It is a long-time tradition for many New Yorkers!

2026 Poster Contest

• The 2026 Poster Contest opens September 2 and closes November 30, 2025.
• Submissions should reflect this year’s theme, “Trees for the Future,” expressing the connections between people and trees, the importance of planting trees for future generations, and the role of trees in providing resilience in a changing climate.  
• The winner will be notified directly by the DEC Urban Forestry Program.
• The contest winner is announced in April and posters will be available in late April for distribution at Arbor Day events around the state and the New York State Fair.

Contest Rules

• Both photographs and original artwork (paintings, drawings, etc.) are eligible for submission.
• Photos and artwork must be original creations of the person submitting them; AI art is not eligible for the contest.
• Photographs must be taken in New York State. Artwork must be of a New York State location, tree species, or otherwise clearly connected to New York State.
• Photos or digital scans of artwork must meet the photo submission requirements below.
• Model consent forms are required for any person who is a focus of a photo, or if the photo features a partially or wholly visible face or likeness. Children under age 18 require parent or guardian to provide model consent.
  • When in doubt, assume that model consent is required.
• Only one submission per person is allowed.
• Healthy trees without major defects tend to receive preference in judging.

Photo and Digital Art Submission Requirements 

• Photos and digital scans of art must be at least 300 dpi at 8"x10" and generally 1 MB or larger.
• Photos that are at least 3,000 x 4,000 pixels will be accepted. This includes most pictures taken on phones before cropping and editing. The pixel size is visible on the photo details for Android and Apple phones.
• Android: Open the photo in your photo app and swipe up to view the photo file information. Scroll down to the photo details and look for information on file size – for example “12.2 MP – 3042 x 4032 – Ultra HDR” - this is telling you the file size (12.2 MP) and the image pixel size (3042 x 4032).
• Apple: Open the photos app and select the image. Swipe up from the bottom or tap the “i" in a circle to view photo information. Beneath the file name it should say something like "12 MP Ÿ 4032 x 3024 Ÿ 2.2 MB" this is telling you the file size (12 MP) and the image pixel size (4032 x 3024)
• You can check the length and height of pictures on a windows computer by simply opening the image on the photos app and finding the height and width in the bottom left. If you click the information or details icon it will display “Size Info” as well.
• Please submit unedited pictures. This will ensure the picture meets our minimum size requirement.

To submit your photography and/or artwork you must:

• Complete the online submission form by November 30, 2025;
• Complete a model consent form (PDF) for any distinguishable persons in the photo and upload to the submission form; and
• If you have any issues with the submission form, email: [email protected] for assistance.

The Arbor Day Poster Committee includes the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, New York State Arborists, Empire State Forestry Foundation, and Sylvamo North America.