Jonesboro, AR – Contributed – The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is celebrating Arbor Day by launching its sixth annual “Free Tree Fridays” campaign, a statewide effort to encourage tree planting.
Free bare root seedlings will be available to Arkansans every Friday from March 20 through April 24 at locations across the state.
“Free Tree Fridays embody the spirit of Arbor Day by offering people the opportunity to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees in their own backyards and in their communities,” said Kristine Kimbro, Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator. “Rather than just celebrating Arbor Day once, we are excited to offer multiple seedling giveaways across the state during the six weeks between our state’s Arbor Day and National Arbor Day.”
In coordination with the Free Tree Friday campaign, two of the events will serve as Arkansas ReLeaf distributions, offering tree seedlings to support replanting efforts in communities affected by tornadoes and other natural disasters. These events are scheduled for March 20 in Hot Springs Village and April 3 in Paragould.
Each giveaway will feature tree species native to Arkansas. While selections vary by location, attendees can expect two to four species, such as Shumard oak, overcup oak, sycamore, or pecan. Up to five free seedlings will be available per person on a first‑come, first‑served basis.
A full schedule of giveaway locations and dates is available on the Department’s website here. Additional locations may be added throughout the event period.
Funding for this project is provided by the U.S. Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program in partnership with the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, with additional support from the Arkansas Urban Forestry Council.