Why plant trees?
Trees clean our air and water, moderate global warming, help prevent
flooding and erosion, improve our health, enhance our communities, and
beautify our world. By planting more trees, this proactive, positive
change can be ensured. The trees we plant today will serve our planet and
its people for generations to come.
Climate: trees and forest are the best nature-based solution to climate
change, given how much carbon they capture and store.
• Urban trees remove 822,000 tons of air pollution a year.
Water: forests act like a sponge, absorbing water from rivers and streams
that we eventually drink.
• A single tree can intercept heavy rainfall, absorbing a lot of what
lands on its leaves, bark, and around its roots. It can store 100
gallons or more of water, helping with flooding and soil erosion.
Wildlife: Forests are home to 80% of the world's biodiversity.
• There are BILLIONS of living things on this planet, and 80% of them
rely on forests for their homes, food, and water. What's 80% of
billions? Still billions.
THE IMPACT OF 100 MILLION TREES
If one out of three people in the United States each planted one tree, the
compounding benefits of those 100 million trees would be immense.
According to a study by the U.S. Forest Service, over a hundred
years, those 100 million trees would:
• remove 578,000 tons of chemical air pollution—enough
gaseous chemical pollution to fill seventy Goodyear® blimps;
• remove 15,850 tons of airborne fine particulate matter—
enough airborne particles to fill nine Olympic-sized swimming pools;
• sequester 8 million tons of carbon—equal to taking 6.2 million
cars off the road for a year; and
• absorb 7.1 million cubic meters of water runoff—equal to each
person on Earth filling a bottle of water every day for 5 years.
About the Arbor Day Foundation:
We plant trees because people need trees. Our health and the health of
our planet are interconnected, and the simple act of planting trees
benefits both. The Arbor Day Foundation works to connect opportunities,
people, and organizations to plant trees and forests to help solve some of
the most critical issues facing our planet.
The Arbor Day Foundation has been inspiring people to plant, nurture,
and celebrate trees since 1972. And that simple mission has had a global
impact. The Foundation has grown over the last 50 years to become the
largest member nonprofit organization dedicated to planting trees. And in
that time, we have worked with members, supporters, and a strong
network of partners to plant and distribute nearly 500 million trees
worldwide. But our work is far from over.
Trees help slow climate change, foster biodiversity, improve our
communities, and provide a stronger future for everyone. It is critical that
we continue planting at scale, now more than ever before. Thanks to our
strong connection with planting partners, the Arbor Day Foundation can
keep pace with the increasing need — while consistently ensuring that the
right trees are planted in the right places.
Learn more at arborday.org