Formed in 1875 by citizens concerned about the waste and abuse of the nation’s forest, American Forests is the nation’s oldest nonprofit citizens’ conservation organization. The organization is proud of its historic roots in the development of America’s conservation movement and of the new approaches they have developed to help people improve today’s environment. American Forests works with communities to restore and maintain forest ecosystems through planting trees, calculating the value of urban forests, fostering environmental education, and improving public policy for trees. They have planted more than 25 million trees in ecosystem restoration projects since 1989. Their goal is to plant 100 million trees by 2020 through their Global ReLeaf campaign.
In addition to focusing on new trees, American Forests works to identify and protect America’s grandest trees by maintaining and publishing the National Register of Big Trees and America’s Historic Tree Register. Started in 1940 and published biannually, The National Register of Big Trees lists the largest-known specimens of native and naturalized trees in the United States. America’s Historic Tree Register commends important trees throughout time and is separated into five categories: age, historic tree, unique tree, famous places and attractions, and famous people. Some of the most famous of these trees’ are the Johnny Appleseed and Gettysburg Address Honey locust. Our Historic Tree Program (www.historictrees.org) brings history alive by propagating direct-offspring of trees that witnessed events and lives significant to American history. Through the planting of these historic trees and every other seed, American Forests hopes to spread their goal as an organization: to protect, restore, and enhance the natural capital of trees and forests.
Learn more about them by visiting www.americanforests.org