One easy way to help the environment is to plant trees. Every tree we plant helps. Trees produce and give off oxygen while absorbing carbon dioxide and other gases and pollution. They provide shade to cool and make our planet beautiful.

Tree Facts:

According to the US Forest Service and other experts, if every American family planted just one tree, more than a billion pounds of "greenhouse gasses" would be removed from the atmosphere every year.

Trees strategically planted around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30 percent and can save 20 - 50 percent in energy costs.

One acre of trees absorbs about six tons of carbon dioxide and returns nearly four tons of oxygen to us. That's enough oxygen for 18 people every year.


Organizations for Tree Planting:

Arbor Day Foundation inspires people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees.

The Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA® Program recognizes outstanding communities all across the country. To qualify a town or city needs to meet four standards established by The Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters.

- A Tree Board or Department
- A Tree Care Ordinance
- A community-wide forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita, and
- An official Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

To see if your town is part of Tree City USA, to get some tips on tree planting and to find out which trees that might be right for your area, log on to www.arborday.org.

Tree Musketeers seeks to empower young people to be leaders of environmental and social change in the Earth's communities. Marcie the Marvelous Tree inspired third graders in 1987 to launch Tree Musketeers as the nation's first youth environmental organization—a nonprofit charity where kids are boss! While taking action to help the planet, kids teach other kids to become active citizens and community leaders. Neighborhood by neighborhood, kids can rescue Earth! To learn more about Tree Musketeers, visit www.treemusketeers.org.