Climate Action
413,000 New Trees Planted in 5 Countries
July 3, 2013
Earth Day Network has a longstanding commitment to protecting natural lands and preserving the environment for everyone. As part of that commitment, we developed The Canopy Project, which plants trees to help communities—especially the world’s impoverished communities—maintain thriving and sustainable economies. In 2012, Earth Day Network vamped up its commitment to reforestation once again, pledging to plant 10 million trees over the next 5 years through the Global Poverty Project.
The reason for our focus on reforestation is simple: trees are essential to the health and well-being of communities. They reverse the effects of land degradation; provide food, energy, and income; prevent soil erosion; and help mitigate the effects of climate change by filtering out carbon dioxide from the air.
Today, we are proud to report on our progress. Over the last several months, Earth Day Network, in partnership with project sponsor The UPS Foundation, has successfully planted 413,000 trees in five countries—Canada, The Netherlands, Norway, Russia, and Uganda—with the help of local tree-planting organizations. Collectively, these trees will sequester 9,912 tons of carbon dioxide each year.
In Manitoba, Canada, Earth Day Network planted 40,000 trees in May in partnership with Tree Canada. These trees—25,600 White Spruce and 14,400 Red Pines—are now a part of the Canadian Boreal Forest. Globally, the Boreal Forest serves as the world’s largest reservoir of carbon, housing almost 22% of the total carbon stored on the Earth’s land surface. Each year, the 40,000 trees that Earth Day Network planted will filter out 960 tons of carbon from the atmosphere.