Earth Week is just around the corner and if you’re looking for ways to get involved and do your part on April 19-24, 2021, we’ve got an idea for you. While some will commemorate the occasion by posting their favorite outdoorsy photo on social media, we hope that you will join us in taking positive action to affect this beautiful planet we all call home.
Did you know that one of the most impactful (and easiest) things you can do to improve our environment is to plant a tree? Trees are important to the health of our ecosystems, wildlife, and the air we breathe. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, in one year, a mature tree will absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen in exchange, and one large tree can provide a day’s supply of oxygen for up to four people!
While there are plenty of initiatives working to strategically plant trees within our national forests, parks, and watersheds through public and private partnerships, there is much less effort to plant trees in cities and towns throughout the country. So, this Earth Day, we urge you to take it upon yourself to make your neighborhood greener. Grab a friend or family member and plant a tree in your own yard, or call your local officials to determine where a tree can be planted on public land.
Imagine if everyone in your city did the same…think of how much cleaner the air you breathe in every day would be! Not to mention the habitats you will create for wildlife to thrive, and the beauty you’d be creating around your home.
We would be remiss if we didn’t also mention how trees can help you save energy. Strategically placed trees around your property can help to keep your home at your desired temperature by providing shade or deflecting winds. In fact, implementing energy-conserving landscaping strategies around your home can save up to 25% of the energy used by a typical household, according to the U.S. Department of Energy!
While we see trees nearly every day, it is easy to forget all that they do for our planet, and us. This Earth Week, we hope you take just a few hours to plant a tree. If you don’t have the space to plant one, we hope that you can give to an organization dedicated to doing so. Just in case, we’ve found a few reputable organizations you can donate to who are planting trees across the U.S. and even the world!
National Forest Foundation plants one tree for every dollar you give, with a goal of planting 50 million trees.
USDA Forest Service will plant 10 seedlings within a U.S. National Forest, for every $10 donation. The Forest Service also cares for the trees as part of their normal reforestation activities.
American Forests will plant one tree in a wildland restoration project within a threatened ecosystem for every dollar donated.
Arbor Day Foundation has pledged to plant 50 million trees. For every dollar you donate, one tree will be planted in a National Forest where reforestation is desperately needed.
One Tree Planted helps plant trees across the U.S. and globally. Every dollar donated is a tree planted. You can also choose the region of the world you wish to give to.
