An Arbor Day Tree
Dear little tree we plant today,
What will you be when we’re old and gray?
The tree answers,
“The savings bank of the squirrel and mouse,
For robin and wren an apartment house,
The dressing-room of the butterfly’s ball,
The katydid’s concert hall,
The schoolboy’s ladder in the pleasant June,
The schoolgirl’s tent in the July noon,
And my leaves shall whisper them merrily
A tale of the children who planted me.”
— Anonymous
Every day of the year, children engage with Humboldt Park. On the western edge, they splash in the pool in the summer and run around the toddler playground. Near the Pavilion, they climb, slide, swing, and hop. Their school visits the pollinator garden to count butterflies and draw flowers. They dance in front of the bandshell and sway to jazz tunes.
Spring brings our popular Easter Egg Hunt, staffed by seemingly tireless volunteers and supported by area businesses. Young children and toddlers spread out to claim their treat-filled eggs, recycling them in exchange for a coupon. Their antics and squeals of joy animate the park.
And then there’s Tree Day!
Tree Day was started 27 years ago as an instructional program for first graders in our neighborhood schools. As stewards of Humboldt Park, we have educated our future stewards in the importance of the care of the trees in the park. Each class of first graders watches a tree being planted. They include their names on paper which are planted with the roots of the tree. The class names their tree and they can come to the park to visit it their entire lives. Over the years, we have educated over 3,000 students in the schools surrounding the park.
Every picnic area in the park boasts birthday parties, graduations, end-of-school-year celebrations, quinceañeras, and family reunions. But less organized small family events abound as well. Many, for example, come nearly every day, spring through fall, to fish in the lagoon.
On one fall day, my kiddos and I challenged each other to see who could catch the most leaves before they hit the ground. I discovered it is harder and takes more skill than I suspected. Another day, my daughter was on a mission to photograph the most beautiful tree in the park. We looped through twice before deciding on a 4-way tie for first.
Humboldt Park is a local treasure that invites us all to move, learn, and grow. It’s a place where families connect, and children experiment. Humboldt Park teaches us about the natural environment. Life-long memories are built here.
Please join us in supporting this important work.