Earth Day 2001 Goal: One Million Trees

American Forests
Tuesday, 20 March 2001

American Forests (americanforests.org), the country's oldest nonprofit conservation organization, has launched a campaign to plant one million trees for Earth Day. The 31st anniversary of Earth Day is April 22. People can make a big difference in the health of the planet by planting trees in their communities and through the Internet with American Forests' Global ReLeaf program which is partnering with community organizations across the United States and around the world.

At www.americanforests.org people will find information ranging from the best way to plant a tree in their yard to an easy way to plant trees for Global ReLeaf in one of 50 ecosystem restoration projects underway this year. Every dollar donated online, or through the Global ReLeaf hotline at 1-800-545-TREE, plants a native tree and counts toward the million-tree goal. Individuals can also log in the trees they plant at home or in community action projects.

"Planting trees this Earth Day should be a part of our response to many environmental problems from urban sprawl and poor air quality to the loss of wildlife habitat to global climate change," said Deborah Gangloff, executive director of American Forests. "In addition to the many important things people do for the environment in their communities this Earth Day, they can use the Internet to be a part of a global campaign to plant a million trees in projects where they are needed most."

From helping to regenerate forests burned by wildfire in California to planting trees in war-torn Sarajevo, to restoring habitat for the "snow tigers" of the Russian Far East, American Forests is mobilizing people and organizations of all kinds to improve local and global conditions for generations to come. Trees planted in these projects clean the water we drink and remove pollutants from the air we breathe. In addition, they filter polluted runoff, cool streams for salmon, provide habitat for bald eagles and other wildlife, and remove climate-changing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Since 1990, American Forests has been planting trees for Global ReLeaf in areas damaged by human or natural causes. The Global ReLeaf network has planted trees in more than 500 projects and extends through every state and territory in America, as well as 21 countries worldwide. In 1996 the organization set a goal to plant 20 million trees for the new millennium. To date more than 17 million trees have been planted and American Forests expects to plant the 20 millionth this fall.

Descriptions of American Forests' Global ReLeaf projects, and the following initiatives, can be found at www.americanforests.org: · Trees for Tigers, which seeks to plant 200,000 trees this year, and eventually millions, in the Russian Far East to improve habitat for the 350 adult Siberian tigers left in the wild. A special web site, www.treesfortigers.org is dedicated to this campaign. · Wildfire ReLeaf, to plant trees and renew forests in areas scorched by wildfire, especially the extensive fires of 2000 in the Western United States. · Trees for Sarajevo, dedicated to restoring the hillside trees and urban canopy of the host city for the 1984 Winter Olympic Games whose trees were decimated by the recent war.

Students in hundreds of classrooms will also be helping to plant Global ReLeaf trees in conjunction with American Forests' environmental education program, A Tree for Every Child. Teachers can download a free teaching guide from the web site. Schools that plant 100 trees in Global ReLeaf restoration projects receive an American Forests Famous & Historic Tree to plant at their school or in the community. The public can also order Famous & Historic Trees to plant at home for Earth Day. A free catalogue can be ordered at www.americanforests.org.

Over 125,000 trees are expected to be planted for "A Million Trees for Earth Day" by customers of Eddie Bauer through the specialty retailer's Add-a-dollar, Plant-a-tree spring campaign at stores, online at www.eddiebauer.com, and through its catalogues. Corporate sponsor Batteries Plus is planting 20,000 trees for its customers through "A Million Trees for Earth Day" and scores of other companies and organizations are expected to participate with special Global ReLeaf promotions or incentives.

American Forests is an environmental partner of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics (SLOC) and people planting trees for Earth Day can also enroll their trees through Plant it Green, a SLOC environmental campaign.

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