They may rustle and creak from time to time, but most of the time, don't make much noise. They withstand bitter cold, stultifying heat, scorching drought and rainfall deluges.

Trees. There are hundreds of varities in Pennsylvania and throughout the United States, and Arbor Day gives us the opportunity to celebrate them, usually by planting them.Arbor Day events have been around for more than 200 years. The first one noted took place in 1805 in Villanueva de la Sierra, Spain. Nebraska City, Neb., hosted the first Arbor Day in the U.S. in 1872.By the 1920s every state had passed legislation designating an annual Arbor Day celebration, on the fourth Friday in April. One of the earliest notations of Arbor Day is mentioned in the "Report from the Superintendent of Public Instruction" from Carbon County in 1918, when "15,000 two-year-old pine trees were planted throughout the county, through the assistance of the state forestry commissioner and the district forester."Carbon County's affinity for trees continues in Lehighton, a Tree City USA, recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation. There are 3,400 Tree City USAs in the country; Lehighton is the 29th-oldest in Pennsylvania and has been a Tree City USA for 21 years.Mark Hoffman, president of the Lehighton Shade Tree Commission, has been involved for 20 of those years. Lehighton's annual Arbor Day event will be held at the Lehighton Middle School Friday morning."A neighbor of mine, Stanley Sincavage, asked me if I'd volunteer, and I've really enjoyed it," Hoffman said. "It's a lot of fun, and it's neat when you form partnerships in the community and see it grow."To become one of the Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USAs, a borough or town must meet four standards: Establish a tree commission, pass a tree care ordinance, set up a community forestry program with an annual budget of $2 per capita and have an annual Arbor Day observance.In past years, Lehighton has partnered with Boy Scout Troop 82, where Scoutmaster Scott Wingert is also a member of the Shade Tree Commission.This year Hoffman, who works for PPL, has arranged for a representative of the PPL forestry department to talk to students.Lehighton Middle School science teacher Joe Yescavage is organizing the students, who will each plant a tree seedling, and also be given one to take home. DCNR Forester Dan Snyder, and members of Lehighton's Shade Tree Commission will also be on hand to educate the students about trees and tree care.Superstorm Sandy in 2012 damaged more than 340,000 homes, and the area also lost its tree canopy. The Arbor Day Foundation and the NJ Division of State Forestry Services have partnered to replace the trees. This spring, 120,000 trees will be planted in 18 counties.Anthony Marek, public relations spokesman for the Arbor Day Foundation, said that the organization's mission statement is "to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees."The Arbor Day Foundation (www.arborday.org) has more than one million members, who have access to conservation and education programs.What can one person do to participate in Arbor Day?"Plant a tree, help someone plant a tree, water community trees, volunteer for a local organization that supports community trees," Marek said.