In January, the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest announced that it has been selected to provide the 2025 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, marking the first time the U.S. Forest Service will harvest the tree from the Humboldt-Toiyabe and from the state of Nevada. The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is a tradition that began in 1964 in which one of America’s 154 national forests provides a tree for the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol for the holiday season. The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is the largest in the continental United States, encompassing more than 6 million acres in Nevada and California.
With a theme for the tree of “Starry Skies to Neon Lights – Spirit of the Silver State,” the U.S. Forest Service put out a call in May for 10,000 handmade ornaments, ranging from 4 inches to 12 inches tall, that will be required for the gigantic tree. Youth in Nevada 4-H and Cloverbuds (ages 5-8) joined others across the state to help answer the call and have the ornaments delivered to the Forest Service by Sept. 15. The 4-H and Cloverbud youth provided a variety of handmade ornaments showcasing their artistic talent, as well as what makes our state unique and what “Home Means Nevada” means to them. The Forest Service specifically asked that ornaments reflect Nevada traditions and people; iconic landscapes and special places; our public lands and how people enjoy them; and our wild plants, animals and geology.
Anna Whiteside and Sara Sweeney, from the Extension office in northern Nye County, helped coordinate the effort for more than 20 4-H youth in Tonopah and Round Mountain to make 50 ornaments to be sent to the White House. The ornaments were made of wood and hand-painted, or were crafted from other art supplies, many of them depicting Nevada wildlife or “Battle Born,” as displayed on the state’s flag. Sweeney said the youth were excited to represent Nevada and contribute to the effort.
“They were also very excited about where the ornaments were going to be displayed,” she said. “One of the younger kids said, ‘This ornament is going to be famous, so I am going to try my best.’ They had a lot of fun, but they also took it pretty seriously and put a lot of thought into their ornaments.”
Youth in other areas of state also participated. Douglas County 4-H youth provided hand-painted Nevada-shaped ornaments, many of them depicting starry skies or eagles. Youth from Lyon County provided hand-painted, wooden, horse-themed ornaments. Youth from Pershing County provided hand-sewn ornaments.
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