American Forests

American Forests is currently working to reach its goal of planting 2.7 million trees across 44 projects nationally this year. They are working to restore and protect critical wildlife habitat in projects like these.

Virginia Longleaf Pine Restoration Project

American Forests will reforest 550 acres in two Virginia nature preserves with a total of 300,000 longleaf pine seedlings. These tracts support some of the highest diversity of rare plant and animal species in southeastern Virginia.

Project Location

South Quay Sandhills and Chub Sandhills State Natural Area Preserves, Virginia.

Why This Project?

Southeast Virginia was once a mecca for longleaf pine, featuring more than 1 million acres of it. But development, the timber and maritime industries and the fragile nature of this rare ecosystem have challenged the survival of longleaf here.

The South Quay property is home to a wide diversity of plants and wildlife, including bald eagles, and has been identified by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation as an area of “outstanding ecological significance.”

On the shore of what was once an ancient estuary, Chub Sandhill Natural Area Preserve features a series of low sandhills, sandy upland flats and riparian wetlands along the Nottoway River. There are shallow ponds that serve as a breeding habitat for a variety of amphibians, such as spotted salamanders and eastern narrowmouth toads. These, in turn, attract belted kingfishers and wading birds such as greenbacked herons and great blue herons.

The work represents a large-scale coordinated effort to restore native longleaf pine forests at the northern foothold of the longleaf pine ecosystem. Restoration activities will be implemented across a 20,000-acre network of preserves by members of the Virginia Longleaf Pine Cooperators, a coalition of public agencies, conservation organizations and private landowners formed in 2012.

https://www.americanforests.org/

Trees For The Future

Trees for the Future is improving the livelihoods of impoverished farmers by revitalizing degraded lands. Since 1989, with our experience in planting over 127 million trees all over the world, we have demonstrated the transformative power of trees in helping people break out of the poverty trap while also addressing the global environment. Today, our work in East and West Africa is helping to build a world where people can leave a legacy of opportunity through sustainable practices and productive lands for future generations.

Why Trees

Your contribution helps families to help themselves. Through planting trees we create educational opportunities for children, empower women and build strong communities. Planting trees helps increase the income of poor farmers and provides permanent and seasonal employment. Planting trees reverses environmental degradation, restores biodiversity and removes megatons and greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

Forest Garden Program

The Forest Garden Program is a sustainable agriculture practice. The Forest Garden Program is a simple, replicable and scalable approach with proven success. By planting specific types of trees and crops in a systematic manner over a four year period, families can change their lives forever. Forest Gardens provide families with sustainable food sources, livestock feed, products to sell, fuel wood and up to a 500% increase in their annual income.

Current Projects

Trees For The Future currently has 14 projects underway in five countries in Sub Saharan Africa. Our focus is on the implementation of Forest Garden Programs in Cameroon, Kenya, Senegal, Uganda and Tanzania, as these are areas where we are having the biggest impact and seeing amazing results.

http://trees.org/