The Beauty of a Tree

Global ReLeaf, a program introduced in 1988 by the American Forests, was a pioneer in addressing the issue of global warming. The purpose behind the program was to educate and implement a call to action to improve the global environment by planting and caring for trees. The program is credited with planting 25 million trees in more than 500 projects world wide by the end of 2006. American Forests pledges to continue to plant millions of additional trees in new Global ReLeaf projects around the world.

In April 2007, the organization launched the Global ReLeaf2 campaign. The goal of this extended project is to plant 100 million trees by the year 2020 in an effort to help cool the effects of global warming.

Trees Slow Down Global Warming

American Forests recognized global warming as a major contributor to a list of environmental issues, primarily the loss last year of 10 million acres to wildfire in the U.S. alone. Trees help slow down the process of global warming by sequestering carbon. The Department of Energy’s Fossil Energy program has assessed  ”…key areas for research and development that could lead to an understanding of the potential for future use of carbon sequestration as a major tool for managing carbon emissions.”

Healthy Forests: Healthy Life

American Forests dates back to 1875 and is the nation’s oldest nonprofit citizens group. They have been planting trees to restore forest ecosystems for more than a century. The Global ReLeaf program took an aggressive stance on planting trees to help cool the globe. Additionally, healthy forests offer environmental benefits such as clean water, clean air, wildlife habitat, and a life giving ecosystem. Because trees naturally draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and convert it into wood, they produce oxygen, essential to life.

Global ReLeaf Projects

Global ReLeaf has two types of projects. The first is the Global ReLeaf fund which allows for trees to be planted in urban areas. The second project is called Global ReLeaf Forests. This project is concentrated on less developed areas that have been damaged by natural or human causes. They plant trees in ecosystem restoration projects.

Through programs such as Global ReLeaf and Global ReLeaf2, American Forests remains a leader in its efforts to educate and eradicate the damage done to the global environment as they continue planting trees. As a nonprofit organization, American Forest relies on donations. The organization claims that for every $1 donation received, they can plant one tree in any number of their many projects.