"Let’s Get Planting!"

Since the United Nations dubbed 2011 the ‘Year of the Forest,’ many environmental groups across the globe are orchestrating mass tree plantings in order to reverse deforestation and offset carbon emissions. Since 2005, La Reserva Forest Foundation (LRFF) has been working locally to promote tropical forest growth in Costa Rica, and has decided to use Earth Day 2011 to ‘branch out’ and share their message with communities all over the world. 

In honor of Earth Day, Roberta Smiley, the director and founder of LRFF, and Pedro Marata from the Samara Foundation have joined forces to co-host two events. The first, “Let’s Get Planting” in Berlin includes music, dancing, tree planting, and local dialogues on the preservation and protection of tropical forests.  Simultaneously, a second event in Costa Rica hosted by the Maleku, an indigenous community, will feature volunteers from LRFF and local school children organizing tree plantings. These activities allow them to further fulfill their joint missions of creating global awareness and action to protect our planet's tropical rainforests!

LRFF is also collaborating with Etnies, a US shoe company, to plant 35,000 trees for Earth Day Network’s Billion Acts of Green campaign.  This immense contribution will not only help reforest the Maleku reserve in Costa Rica, but will help to reverse land erosion and potentially create a carbon offset program to fund community development. 

If you can’t be in Costa Rica or Berlin on April 22, join individuals, schools and organizations in your community and create your own event to celebrate reforestation, community engagement, and Earth Day on the Earth Day Network website!