Happy Little Trees: Artists Turning Creativity into Climate Action

Art holds the undeniable power to inspire change and spark global movements. Whether it’s the stroke of a paintbrush, an infectious melody, or the poignancy of a poem, art can shift not only the way we see ourselves, but our connection to the world. 

Art prompts us to reflect inwardly as much as it challenges us to consider our changing environment and role in impacting climate change. For centuries, trees have been powerful symbols in artists’ works, embodying themes of life, renewal, and strength. These complex living beings inspire us by representing resilience and the cyclical nature of existence.    

There are an estimated 60,000 different species of trees that grace the Earth. Here are three artists that have attempted to capture the beauty and vastness of trees through their work.

Bob Ross’s Happy Little Trees

Bob Ross was a beloved landscape painter, teacher and television personality of the late 80s. His PBS show titled in the U.S, “The Joy of Painting,” allowed viewers to bask in his soothing voice, feather-like brush strokes and positive words of encouragement. 

In his paintings, Ross used a wet-on-wet technique, which involves applying wet paint to a wet surface and thus, allows for colors to easily blend and creates dynamic movement across the canvas.  

While Ross’s show was quite simple in execution as he began with the same tools each episode (a blank canvas, paint palette and a few brushes), it was this consistency that continued to draw viewers in. Watching Ross create lush forests, serene and sparkling waterfalls, cozy cabins and towering mountains all under 30 minutes, was just half of the appeal. His calm demeanor and approach to art as a form of ultimate self-expression and endless possibility, are qualities that could make a viewer feel included and intrigued to begin a painting of their own.      

Ross would often use the phrase “happy little trees” when he began to paint trees into his landscapes. While many believe he coined the phrase, he in fact adopted it from his mentor William “Bill” Alexander, who had his own PBS show, “The Magic of Oil Painting” from the mid 70s to early 80s. Despite this, the phrase became largely associated with Ross due to his show solidifying itself as part of the great pop culture of the 80s. 

In its essence, “happy little trees” reflects the joy that can still be found in life’s imperfections. For Ross, the main thing is to embrace your creativity to the fullest extent. He viewed trees as needing friends and held the belief that everyone deserves a friend. He would reflect this in his work by painting several unique trees, representing the idea that individuality is important.   

Anything we don’t like, we’ll turn it into a happy little tree or something; we don’t make mistakes, we just have happy accidents.

Bob Ross, painter

In 2019, a reforestation program between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Bob Ross Inc. was born. Known as “Happy Little Trees,” the program is a rebranding of Michigan’s Prison Grow program, which allows inmates to plant and care for tree seedlings. Once big enough, the trees head off to state parks, all around the state, to be planted by volunteers. 

Since the program’s original inception in 2004, it has produced more than 100,000 native plants, shrubs and trees. Now with support from Bob Ross Inc., over 2,100 trees have been planted across 20 Michigan state parks. 

Michael Jackson’s Plea for the Planet

Michael Jackson, most famously known for being the “King of Pop” and arguably one of the most influential if not controversial figures of the 20th century, released “Earth Song” in 1995. This ballad, which was the last song Jackson ever performed before his death, touched on major themes of environmental issues, poverty, war and animal welfare. 

“Earth Song” opens with soft cricket and bird sounds and gradually builds as Jackson cries out lyrics such as “did you ever stop to notice / this crying Earth, this weeping shore?” By personifying the planet, it adds a layer of emotional depth that carries throughout the song and calls for humanity to recognize the destruction it has caused.

I remember writing Earth Song when I was in Austria, in a hotel. And I was feeling so much pain and so much suffering of the plight of the Planet Earth. And for me, this is Earth’s Song, because I think nature is trying so hard to compensate for man’s mismanagement of the Earth. And with the ecological unbalance going on, and a lot of the problems in the environment, I think earth feels the pain, and she has wounds, and it’s about some of the joys of the planet as well.

Michael Jackson, musician 

There is also a music video that accompanies the song, which sits at nearly 500 million views. The video, which was shot across four vastly different areas including Warwick, New York, Tanzania, Karlovac, Croatia and the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil, speaks to the song’s lyricism of desolation.

The video begins with several shots of a lush and peaceful rainforest, but quickly turns into a scene where Jackson is quietly roaming through a wreckage of broken down trees under a burning red sky similar to that of an apocalyptic film. Throughout much of the video, there are multiple dissolve transitions between thriving life in jungles and safaris to stark instances of animal deaths, deforestation and pollution. 

Toward the end, the video uses time reversal effects to show the restoration of forests and wildlife, allowing for a hopeful conclusion that leaves viewers to think about their own impact on the planet.

Painting a Brighter, Cleaner Future

Alexis Rockman, a contemporary artist known for creating paintings that depict detailed futuristic landscapes as they might look with the impacts of climate change, designed this year’s Earth Day poster. 

The poster is representative of EARTHDAY.ORG’s 2025 theme, Our Power, Our Planet, supporting renewable energy like solar and wind over fossil fuels. It serves as a reminder of our continued need to push for a renewable energy future.

At the center of Rockman’s poster, which is a mix of watercolor with acrylic and oil based paint, a solar panel that stands tall amongst the bright and sunny sky, reflecting the positive impact renewable energy can have on our planet. A body of diverse hands are stretched upwards and are accompanied by rich and lush trees that hug the sides of the poster. A few monarch butterflies are interspersed in the piece and “Earth Day 2025” is free-flowingly painted in green lettering.       

Humans are an almost entirely visual species and art can and should convey complex and highly emotional images that go directly to our hearts. After listening carefully to the Earth Day team, I felt this image of a forest and a diverse crowd of people reflected in a solar panel, conveyed the idea of solar power being the best direction collectively for our needs with the least impact on the rest of the planet. There is still time to make a difference.

Alexis Rockman, artist

If you support EARTHDAY.ORG’s work promoting renewable energy please sign our Renewable Energy Petition, urging global leaders to commit to phasing out fossil fuels and investing in renewable energy. We have never needed more support as the present US government does all it can to undermine the growth of the renewable energy business in favor of planet polluting fossil fuels.  

Beyond the Masterpiece 

Art allows us to understand and process the world around us. It is emotional, thought provoking and serves as a communal space where ideas can run free.  
Whether you’re an artist or an admirer, you can make a difference. Through EARTHDAY.ORG’s  Canopy Tree Project, we’ve planted tens of millions of trees worldwide with the primary goal of reforestation, and supporting local communities, as well as contributing to the ongoing goals of combating climate change and safeguarding biodiversity. Donating as little as $1 today can plant a tree.