I have always loved trees, even as a little girl. I grew up on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania with acres and acres of woods to explore. There was a sugar maple at the end of our driveway that signaled the arrival of fall by turning a brilliant reddish orange. There was a stand of pine trees on the ridge where my father took us tramping through the snow each winter to chop down our Christmas tree. Redbuds were the first trees to burst into bloom in the spring time. And in the summer I spent lazy warm days perched high up in an apple tree, reading books. In a pasture where we kept a horse and a pony, I took my turn climbing a pair of tall ladders perched against our two tall pear trees to pick their golden fruit and collect them in my basket.

So when I heard about the very first pear tree that was ever planted in America, I had to find out more. It turns out there were no pear trees growing in North America when the colonists first arrived, so Governor John Endicott of Puritan fame ordered one to be shipped over from England. He planted it in 1632 in a special ceremony in front of his governor’s mansion near Salem, Massachusetts. It became known as the Endicott pear tree.

Centuries have come and gone. The governor’s mansion is no longer there. But the Endicott pear tree has survived hurricanes, fire, industrialism, and even vandalism. At nearly 400 years old, it still stands strong and brave today. It stands at the edge of a parking lot, protected by a grove of trees and cared for by groups such as the John Endecott Family Association. And because it’s such an important part of history, clones of it grow all around the United States today.

When I learned all about this brave pioneer, I knew I had to tell its story to the world. The result? My picture book, The Very Oldest Pear Tree, was illustrated by the talented Yas Imamura and published last August by Albert Whitman.

This spring, celebrate Arbor Day with your children or grandchildren. Read the picture book, The Very Oldest Pear Tree, to learn more about the history of this amazing tree. Search online for an historic tree in your neighborhood. Visit it and learn its history.

Create a nature table together for little ones to explore all things trees. Collect leaves from your yard to paint. Gather pine cones and sort them by size. Collect a bowl of acorns and play with them. Enjoy God’s wonderful creation: Trees!

Finally, memorize together Psalm 1:1-4:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

Happy Arbor Day!

-written by Nancy I. Sanders, a bestselling and award-winning children’s author of over 100 books. For a free educator’s guide to use with The Very Oldest Pear Tree, CLICK HERE to visit her website.

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