Environmental Education Program Gears Up for Earth Day

American Forests
Wednesday, 7 March 2001

A classroom learning guide and poster on trees and tree planting is available free of charge this spring from American Forests (americanforests.org), the world leader in planting trees for environmental restoration. Teachers and youth leaders can download the guide from americanforests.org or log in to have a guide and poster sent at no cost.

The science-based materials are part of American Forests' "A Tree for Every Child" program, which helps elementary teachers educate students about trees, the important role trees play in maintaining a healthy environment, and how kids can make a big difference by planting trees. Teachers can participate either for Earth Day or as part of their regular environmental or science curriculum. "A Tree for Every Child" packets contain 6 lesson plans that teach the anatomy of trees and the functions cambium, xylem, bark, sap, and nuts serve. In addition, students learn how trees improve air quality, control floodwater, cool the planet, and provide wildlife habitat.

The program encourages students and classes to take action by planting a tree and includes an optional public service component in which students raise money to have trees planted in one of American Forests' Global ReLeaf ecosystem restoration projects. In the spring of 2000, the first year of the program, school children helped American Forests plant 42,055 trees and as many as 100,000 trees will be planted as a result of the program. Participating students held bake sales, sold lemonade during a heatwave, recycled aluminum cans, and devised other creative ways to collect funds to pay for their trees. Many teachers commented on how the fund-raising aspect of the program provided students with an important civics lesson and "these children learned a great deal about their American forests and about saving trees and the environment," said one Florida teacher.

"The response from teachers and students has been tremendous," said Jen Pietruski, coordinator of "A Tree for Every Child." "Last spring, over 1300 teachers requested the materials and 234 classes completed projects to plant trees in Global ReLeaf Forest restoration projects. This year, nearly 1500 teachers have already requested our learning guide and now anyone can download it instantly from the Internet."

Each school or class that raises at least $100 to plant 100 Global ReLeaf trees receives the offspring of an historic tree to plant at their school. The trees are grown at American Forests' Famous & Historic Trees project nursery. This year, a class will receive an authentic Mount Vernon Red Maple for every 100 Global ReLeaf trees it helps plant with American Forests, the nation's oldest nonprofit conservation organization. These trees are grown from seeds hand-picked from the red maples planted by our first President, George Washington, at his Virginia home.

Every dollar donated to American Forests plants one tree in an ecosystem restoration project. These projects restore degraded sites with trees that help reduce erosion and stormwater runoff, clean the air by removing pollutants, and provide wildlife habitat. Each dollar donated this spring will be counted towards American Forests' "A Million Trees for Earth Day" campaign, which encourages people everywhere to help plant one million trees.

For more information, or to contact American Forests, see their website at: www.americanforests.org