Planting Trees on College Campuses

College students are helping us plant trees across the country through the Tree Campus USA fall events.

For the second straight year, we’ve teamed up with Toyota to plant trees at colleges and universities throughout the United States. This fall, we’re planting trees at the University of Maryland, Duke University, Cornell University, Tulane University and the University of Washington.

The goal of the Tree Campus USA program is to recognize colleges and universities that practice sound campus forestry. Last year, the Foundation honored 29 colleges and universities that met the program’s standards.

Want to see if you’re school is a Tree Campus USA? Visit www.arborday.org/treecampusUSA.

Help Preserve the World’s Rain Forests

We’ve seen a report that logging rates in the Amazon rain forest have dropped 46 percent last year. But there is also satellite data available that claims deforested areas in the area increased 160 percent from the previous year.

In other words, it’s still vital to protect the Earth’s rain forests. The benefits they provide are so enormous, from medicines to wildlife habitat to their ability to moderate the planet’s temperatures.

Here are two easy ways you can help. First, join the Arbor Day Foundation and designate the cost of your membership to the Rain Forest Rescue program. For every $10 you contribute, you will help preserve 2,500 square feet of the rain forests of Mexico and Central America.

You can also switch to Arbor Day Specialty Coffee, the proceeds of which go to help preserve the rain forests. The Foundation’s fair-trade, organic coffee is grown under the canopy of the rain forest is fair-trade.

Since 1992, more than 2 billion square feet of the world’s rain forests have been preserved through the Foundation’s Rain Forest Rescue program.

Help preserve the rain forest today!

West Coast Fire Season Starts with a Big Blaze

California is no stranger to wildfires, but typically the big blazes are pushed by the arrival of the Santa Ana winds in the fall. This year’s first major fire of the season, the Station Fire in Angeles National Forest north of Los Angeles, could end up being one of the largest in California history.

With the blaze only 28 percent contained, already more than 150,000 acres have been burned and many homes damaged or destroyed.

Reports claim that the Station Fire is burning with intense heat. If that continues, regeneration may not take place in the fire’s aftermath inside the Angeles National Forest. Some trees, such as a few species of pines, only regenerate with the help of fire. Fire opens the trees’ seed source, and allows the seed to be released onto the ground. But some fires burn so hot that they burn the seed source as well. The earth is often scorched so severely, further inhibiting natural regeneration.

The Arbor Day Foundation, our members and partners are helping the U.S. Forest Service plant trees in areas of our national forests that cannot regenerate on its own. You can help by joining the Arbor Day Foundation through our Replanting Our National Forests campaign at www.arborday.org. Each dollar donated to the Foundation through this campaign will plant one tree in a forest that needs it most.

You can help revive our damaged forests and make a difference in the world.

What Tree Is That? to Be Featured on KSFO Radio

The Arbor Day Foundation’s Ben Cohoon will be a guest on KSFO AM Sunday morning, Aug. 23, to discuss the Foundation’s new tree identification guidebook, What Tree Is That?

Cohoon will appear on KSFO’s popular show, “Bob Tanem in the Garden,” which airs Sundays from 7 a.m. until 10 a.m. PDT.

What Tree Is That?: A guide to the more common trees of North America, is an ideal resource to help people identify trees in a simple, step-by-step process. The book will help people identify more than 250 species of trees that live and grow in North America.

For those who do not live in the San Francisco area, you can listen to the interview at www.ksfo.com. Cohoon’s interview is scheduled to be on at 7:30 a.m. PDT.

Arbor Day Specialty Coffee Earns Top Honor

Want a cup of the best-tasting, shade-grown coffee in North America? Then try the Arbor Day Foundation’s Fair Trade, organic coffee that’s grown under the canopy of the rain forest.

Don’t just take our word for it. Coffee Review, an independent coffee judge and considered the world’s leading coffee buying guide, awarded a superb score to Arbor Day Specialty Coffee in the August Cupping. No other shade-grown coffee scored higher than Arbor Day Specialty Coffee, which is made from beans grown by in Mexico.

When you drink Arbor Day Specialty Coffee, in addition to getting a great-tasting cup you also make a positive impact on the world’s rain forests. Every time someone drinks a cup of Arbor Day Specialty Coffee, a portion of the rain forests is preserved as part of the Foundation’s Rain Forest Rescue program. Since 1992, more than 2 billion square feet of the world’s rain forests have been preserved through the Rain Forest Rescue program.

To learn more about Arbor Day coffee, make sure and visit www.arborday.org/coffee.