NEBRASKA CITY – The 148th Arbor Day celebration in Nebraska City got underway Friday at Arbor Lodge with tree seedlings ready for planting and a quest for the perfect bubble.
Yolanda Bailey of Bailey Bubbles gave her first public presentation ever. She told elementary students about how her interest in making bubbles for her own children on a farm near Brainard, Neb., and how it led to years of experimenting on different solutions and frames.
She described her quest for the “perfect bubble” and acquiesced to the elementary students’ perennial charge of “B-I-G-G-E-R.”
Bailey: “My bubbles, I like them big. When the kids were little I was doing little bubbles, but I thought these can be better. And that is kind of a theme of my life – things can be better.”
She said years of experimentation has given her opportunity to overcome failures and many popped bubbles.
Brad Kindler, ground and orchard manager at Arbor Day Farm, also gave his first children’s program.
Kindler: “It’s great to see all the kids come out and celebrate Arbor Day, especially here at the home of J. Sterling Morton and I think it kind of satisfies our mission to plant, celebrate and nurture trees.”
He expects to hand out over 700 Norway spruce seedlings.
Kindler: “This is a Norway spruce. It is one of the original trees that J. Sterling Morton planted. I believe it was planted in 1871. The tree is in various, you know, it’s in a state of decline. But it goes to show you that this tree can succeed in Nebraska and it has succeeded for over 150 years.”
Kindler told students if they don’t know where to plant right away, they can plant the seedling in a one or two gallon pot for transplant later this fall.
Kindler: “If mom and dad get a tree from their student today what they are going to want to do it remove it from the plastic and make sure that the roots stay moist.”
The Arbor Day poster and poetry contest winners were also announced at the program.
