Christmas isn't the only holiday when trees are special.

Friday is Arbor Day, a day to celebrate our coniferous and deciduous oxygen-producing friends.

Starting today, while at your child's favorite Community Library Network program — Athol, Harrison, Hayden, Pinehurst, Post Falls, Rathdrum or Spirit Lake — pick up an Idaho Forest Products Commission blue spruce seedling. Pencils and posters will be given away too, while supplies last.

The Coeur d'Alene Public Library will be educating little ones about Arbor Day and giving out seedlings Wednesday. The "Trees Are Great: The History of Arbor Day" preschool program goes from 10:30-11 a.m. Free seedlings while supplies last.

On Thursday, the city of Hayden will conduct its big Arbor Day Celebration, where students from Atlas and Hayden Meadows elementary schools, Christian Center and North Idaho Christian schools and homeschoolers/online students will participate in about 25 activities. More than 45 community volunteers will conduct hands-on Arbor Day activities at the learning centers in McIntire Family Park.

The event goes from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. At noon, Hayden Mayor Steve Griffitts will give the Arbor Day Proclamation and announce the winners of the Design the 2017 Arbor Day Art Contest. Seedlings will be distributed to participants. United States Forest Service Smokey Bear, certified arborists, master gardeners engineers and landscape designers will be on site.

According to the Idaho Forest Products Commission's website, www.idahoforests.org, 25,000 1-year-old blue spruce seedlings will be given away at community events throughout the state and at Home Depot Stores on Arbor Day. Get your free seedlings at any Home Depot in Idaho, Spokane or Ontario, Ore., on Friday.

Later, on May 20, the city of Rathdrum is inviting people to give back to Rathdrum Mountain for Arbor Day during a community service project. Participants will gather at Lakeland High School and take buses to the mountain where they will plant 1,000 ponderosa pines to help the mountain remain healthy. The seedlings will be provided by the city of Rathdrum and the Idaho Nursery and Landscape Association. Bring gloves and a shovel. Registration required for the free event — contact Eric Singer at Rathdrum Parks and Rec at 687-2399 or eric@Rathdrum.org.