Tallying the Trees
As far as we know, there’s no calculator for counting trees planted over 50-plus years. What the Foundation can rely on is historical recordkeeping combined with accounting models purpose-built for this objective.
We plant trees in so many ways. First, we count the Foundation trees distributed directly to everyday consumers through many channels, including our tree nursery, where people can purchase trees to be shipped directly to their home, plus trees planted in forests in tribute to a loved one, and trees planted or requested by Arbor Day Foundation members.
Add to that the hundreds of thousands of trees distributed hand-to-hand at pickup and community events every year. Don’t forget to include a couple million more planted annually through recognition programs at hospitals, schools, and in U.S. cities and abroad. And the many millions of trees working hard to reforest areas hit by natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires? We include those, too.
Bottom line: It’s a lot of trees. Multiplied by more than 50 years, a mind-blowing amount.
For the most part, analysts at the Foundation track trees by the records of how many were distributed, recognized or planted through our network of tree planting partners. For example, when a corporate partner invests in a tree planting project, we have a project completion report created that details the number of trees planted.