One, Two, Trees!

Today is National Arbor Day, and we know that all eyes are on the Gulf (and rightfully so), but let's think for a moment about trees. Did you know that all together, they store about 289 gigatons of carbon? That’s more than the entire atmosphere does. Yet over the last decade, the world has lost an area of forest the size of Costa Rica. In cities, more trees are removed than planted. So we salute folks like the six horticulturists who drive a tree ambulance (complete with warning lights, sirens, water tank, and manure) around Delhi to rescue ailing trees. 

Not up to forming your own tree brigade? Click through the jump to read about tree – uh, we mean three – organizations that help you help trees:

The Nature Conservancy has set an ambitious goal to plant a billion trees in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, one of the most endangered rainforests in the world with only 7% of its original grove left. They’ll plant a tree for every dollar donated; more than 6 million have already been planted.

The Arbor Day Foundation has similar projects across the globe. For a $10 donation, they’ll save a 2,500-square-foot chunk of rainforest in your name. They'll also hook you up with a tree-planting organization in your state for you to take some local action.

And our own Sierra Club, of course, works hard to protect our national forests. Join our Resilient Habitats campaign and sponsor a wild place like Adirondack Park or Giant Sequoia National Monument.

--Wendy Becktold