May 5-11th, 2019

Provincewide, there is a fine tradition of Alberta Forest Week and Arbor Day celebrations dating back to 1884. The spirit of Arbor Day instills the values of conservation and stewardship as well as the environmental benefits of our trees and forests. Alberta Forest Week is celebrated each year during the first full week in May.

As varying climates across the province favour tree planting at different times, Arbor Day dates vary, typically occurring during the first two weeks in May.

70,000 Tree Seedlings Delivered to Students

Alberta Agriculture and Forestry will deliver close to 70,000 tree seedlings to Grade One students throughout the province during Forest Week; a long-standing tradition to teach the value of trees and their contribution to the Alberta way of life.

Check with your local municipality for more information about Alberta Forest Week and Arbor Day activities in your area.

Activity Ideas for Families and Schools

Print an event poster to advertise your own Forest Week activities.

Celebrate the week with friends and family by participating in some fun and informative activities.

Encourage learning and appreciation of our trees and forests with your classroom.

Forest Week Family Activities - Special Weeks

Alberta Forest Week and Arbor Day are time to celebrate our connection to trees, woodlands and forests in our Province. Even a lone tree on a boulevard can be celebrated for its beauty and contribution to keeping our air clean and our cities green.

Activity Ideas for Families

Here are some ideas to celebrate with family and friends:

  1. Plant a tree (or trees!) with your family or community group. Check with your city or municipality for opportunities to join greening initiatives.
  2. Take a hike and discover how trees sprout, grow, die and decay. Take note of what animals and plants live in or on them at each stage. Make a photo journal.
    • Does it have suckers, seeds, pollen or cones?
    • Can you tell which ones are male and which ones are female?
    • Does it grow straight, wide, droopy or round?
    • Which birds, animals and insects are found in or on the tree? What are they using the tree for?
    • Who or what uses the tree after it dies? Is it being used for the same things as before, or new reasons?
    • If you find a fallen tree look for bract or shelf fungus and guess if the fungus attached to the tree before or after it fell
  3. Visit Wonderville to learn about tree cookies (cross-sections), then go out and study any tree stumps you can find to learn about the tree's life.
  4. Download a free guide to common trees and shrubs of Alberta. Can you identify all the trees in your local park?
  5. Adopt a tree in your local park or yard and keep track of how it grows over the years. Have your child sketch the tree each year in different seasons.
  6. Make a collage of dried leaf rubbings in different colors. Remember not to take too many leaves from the same branch -- the trees need them too!
  7. Find the Hidden Pictures:

Junior Forest Rangers

If you have a child age 16-18 interested in natural resource management or forestry, check out the Junior Forest Ranger program!

Forest Week School Activities - Special Weeks

Celebrating trees and forests is a great excuse to get outdoors and walk among them. Enjoy the environment that trees create and get to know some of the local trees in your school's yard and the neighbourhood.

Activity Ideas for Schools

Here are some ideas that might inspire action in your school:

  1. Make paper:
  2. Learn about Tree Cookies.
  3. Check out The Book of Stuff to Do Outside.
  4. Focus on Forests:
  5. Discover the Forest Regions of Canada.
  6. Find inspiration in the Celebrate Arbor Day Guidebook (American).

Classroom Resources

Between The Stands -- Forestry Education Kit (Grades 4-6 and higher).

Please visit or contact Alberta Environment and Parks - Education Resources to obtain the following:

Native Trees of Alberta Poster

A double-sided poster identifying common tree species and their distribution throughout Alberta.

Alberta Tree Posters

Lodgepole Pine Poster

One-sided posters on the following species:

  • Aspen Poplar
  • Eastern Cottonwood
  • Lodgepole Pine
  • White Birch
  • White Spruce

Guide to the Common Native Trees and Shrubs of Alberta

Full-page descriptions and colour photos of a variety of common species are included in this field guide. Easy identification is ensured with the dichotomous key and glossary.