Arbor Day Foundation: Trees Are Simply Amazing.

“Trees are simply amazing.  They clean our air and water, slow climate change, ease poverty and hunger, prevent species loss, and feed the human soul. They provide wildlife habitat, natural beauty and recreational opportunities. They are vital to life as we know it.  All we need to do is plant and care for them.”

-Arbor Day Foundation

Oftentimes, simple things are taken for granted; but, it is those simple things that are usually the most valuable.  

The idea of a holiday to celebrate and plant trees was first proposed by husband and wife Sterling and Caroline Morton to the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture in 1872.  “Arbor Day” was soon set for April 10 of that year, and the government offered prizes to counties and individuals that planted the most number of trees, exalting their value of providing shade, soil stabilization, windbreaks, and material for fuel and building.  On that first Arbor Day, the public planted over one million trees in Nebraska alone. Established almost a century before the first Earth Day, Arbor Day is the pioneer of recognizing and taking action for environmental and community stewardship and sustainability.

The Arbor Day Foundation (ADF) was founded in 1972 with a mission of inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees.  Since ADF’s start, more than 250 million Arbor Day Foundation trees have been planted in neighborhoods, communities, cities, and forests throughout the world, and the organization has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees.

The Arbor Day Foundation is one of Recover’s newest partners and the two teamed up to create a sustainable 100% recycled Arbor Day Tee and Arbor Day Socks in which Recover directly donates to the crucial reforestation efforts of the Arbor Day Foundation with every purchase to help our National Forests bounce back from rampant wildfire, disease, and insect infestation.  A natural fit with Recover, president of the Arbor Day Foundation Dan Lambe describes, “We are excited to partner with Recover Brands on this project. Now environmentally conscious consumers will be able to have impact on not only what they wear, but also help further our mission of inspiring people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees!”

The impact of ADF extends from local to global.  In the Trees for America program, ADF offers members 10 free trees to plant around their home and in their community.  The Energy Saving Trees and Community Canopy program partners with utility companies, municipalities, and corporate organizations to provide residents with free trees that increase energy savings, improve air quality, sequester carbon, and help manage stormwater runoff by planting trees in key locations.  Globally, ADF partners with other nonprofits to provide trees for reforestation efforts in South America, Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Bringing it home to all of us, in recent years, record wildfire seasons have destroyed millions of forest throughout the US. Last year in California alone, 9,133 fires burned 1,381,405 acres, including huge numbers of residences in areas such as Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.  These recent wildfires are burning so hot that in many areas, natural forest regeneration is impossible and there is a narrow window to replant native forests before fire-prone invasive species of trees and brush take over. Our National Forests are also being plagued by disease and insect infestation, and similarly, a narrow window exists to re-plant these areas before alternatives take over.  

While the U.S. Forest Service budget has been used to fight these massive fires, it has not yet been increased to account for all of the necessary re-planting work that is needed.  ADF is currently involved in a massive effort to address this issue and is working with partners to re-plant our National Forests, including Recover.

Ultimately, Recover is very thoughtful in the NGOs we support.  Similar to the National Park Foundation, the Arbor Day Foundation is a mutually perfect partnership in alignment of missions rooted in sustainability and well-being.  Recover is also proud to work with ReTreet, a nonprofit  that redefines disaster relief by engaging communities to replant lost trees, and Nascar Green, the motorsports industry effort to minimize Nascar’s environmental impact and bring inspiration to fans, employees, and partners, both of which partner with the Arbor Day Foundation to accomplish their missions.

This year Arbor Day is on April 27, so grab an Arbor Day Tee and Socks and let’s get out and plant a tree!  They are… simply amazing.