Kansas State University

Kansas Forest Service 130th Anniversary and Arbor Day Celebration

Submitted by Jennifer Williams

Informational tree walks, seedling giveaway, tree-planting event, lunch from Mr. K’s food truck, and more – all on a perfect spring afternoon. If this interests you, join the Kansas Forest Service at its state office in Manhattan on Monday, April 24, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for an open house where the public is invited to visit the new Kansas Forest Service Demonstration Arboretum and Honor Grove. The open house celebrates the KFS 130th Anniversary and Arbor Day.

Ernie Minton, associate dean of research and graduate programs for Kansas State University’s College of Agriculture, will attend the tree-planting event, gold spade in hand, and Smokey Bear will be available for pictures and to give out Smokey Bear hugs.

The Kansas Forest Service is the nation’s fifth-oldest state forestry agency. Created by legislative act in 1887, it celebrates its 130th anniversary this year. The KFS serves rural landowners, communities, rural fire districts, forest and arboriculture industries, and citizens of the state through its six programs: conservation tree and shrub planting, fire management, community forestry, rural forestry, marketing and utilization, and forest health.

The agency was recently awarded a Level One Accreditation by the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum for achieving particular standards of professional practices deemed important for arboreta and botanic gardens. Some of the species at the arboretum are not typically found in Great Plains communities or homesteads, but several that will be on view at the open house are durable options for Kansas. Evergreen and deciduous tree collections, a shrub collection, and several rare and unusual species can be found throughout the property. Oaks, pines, pecan, male Osage-orange, eastern redbud, Kentucky coffeetree, Ginkgo, and black walnut are among the species found in the property’s Honor Grove.

In case Kansas weather doesn’t pan out to be the perfect spring afternoon in which to host our event, the celebration will be rescheduled for Tuesday, April 25, during the same hours.