Arbor Day in Paraguay Date in the current year: June 19, 2024

Paraguayan Arbor Day was established by Moisés Santiago Bertoni, Swiss botanist of Italian decent who lived and worked in Paraguay from 1887 until his death in 1929. Bertoni established the holiday in 1904, it was originally celebrated on July 14. In 1954, the Ministry of Education and Culture moved the date of Arbor Day to June 19.

Deforestation is one of the most important environmental issues in Paraguay. The country lost an estimated 20,000 square kilometers of forest land between 1958 and 1985. Arbor Day plays a very important role in promoting afforestation and forest conservation.

The protection of the Atlantic Forest is especially important because it provides habitat to many species, some of which are threatened. Paraguayan forests are home for over 300 native tree species, and many of them are endangered due to illegal logging.

Arbor Day in Paraguay is marked with numerous events and activities aimed to raise awareness of the dangers of deforestation as well as to help consolidate efforts to contain it.