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 Tree City USA Event | |
| Founded | 1972 (53 years ago) (1972)[1] |
|---|---|
| Founder | John Rosenow |
| Type | 501(c)(3)non-profit |
| Focus | Tree planting;Environmental conservation |
| Headquarters | Lincoln,Nebraska, United States[2] |
Area served | Global |
| Members | 1 million[4] |
Chief Executive Officer | Dan Lambe |
Key people | Leslie Weldon, Board Chair[3] |
| Revenue | $84 million |
| Website | www |
| Remarks | Approximately 5 million trees planted in America's forests per year. |
TheArbor Day Foundation is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofitmembership organization dedicated to plantingtrees.[5] The Arbor Day Foundation has more than one million members and has planted more than 500 million trees in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests throughout the world. The Foundation's stated mission is "to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees."
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The Arbor Day Foundation was founded in 1972,[6] the centennial of the firstArbor Day observance (1872).[7] John Rosenow founded the organization to plant trees and educate the public on their importance. Throughout the years the organization has evolved into a global symbol of conservation[8] with a variety of programs aimed at "inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees."[9]
Through the global reforestation program, the Arbor Day Foundation and international partners have replanted more than 108 million trees[10] lost to fire, insects, disease, and weather in forests in the United States and around the world. These rejuvenated forests help to protect watersheds, stabilize soil, restore wildlife habitats, improve air quality and create jobs.
Founded in 1976 and co-sponsored by theNational Association of State Foresters and theUnited States Forest Service, the Tree City USA program[11] provides a framework for communities to manage and expand their public trees. More than 3,900 communities have achieved Tree City USA status by meeting four core standards of sound urban forestry management: maintaining a tree board or department, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry and celebrating Arbor Day. Today, in all fifty states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico nearly half of Americans are living in Tree City USA towns and cities.[12]
In 2018, the Arbor Day Foundation launched the Time for Trees initiative to plant 500 million trees in forests and communities around the world and engage 5 million tree planters by the 50th Anniversary of the Foundation in 2022. This ambitious goal was successfully achieved, marking a powerful milestone in celebration of the Arbor Day Foundation’s 50th anniversary.[13] Related to this initiative, was the publication of the book, "Now is the Time for Trees," by CEO of the Arbor Day Foundation, Dan Lambe. This book helps readers understand the importance of trees and learn how they can get involved in tree-planting.[14]
In 2019,Team Trees was formed when YouTube creatorsMrBeast andMark Rober joined with the Arbor Day Foundation to raise $20 million to plant 20 million trees.[15] The campaign crowdfunded $20 million in 56 days. More than 800,000 people donated from 200 countries and territories. The campaign set the record for the biggest YouTube collaboration and fundraiser in history with notable donors such asElon Musk andTobias Lütke, who each donated over a million dollars. The goal to reach 20,000,000 trees was reached on December 19, 2019.[16][17][18] and as of August 2025, #TeamTrees has raised $24.9 million.[19]
Arbor Day Farm is a 260-acre attraction located inNebraska City,Nebraska, where the mission of the Arbor Day Foundation comes to life.[20] Amenities at Arbor Day Farm include a 140-room hotel (Lied Lodge), outdoor play and educational center (Tree Adventure), the historic home ofJulius Sterling Morton (Arbor Lodge State Park) and many more amenities designed to immerse patrons into the outdoors and the beauty of trees.[21]
Arbor Day Carbon, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Arbor Day Foundation, was founded in 2021.[22] Arbor Day Carbon works with corporations and developers to advance high-integrity, nature-based carbon removal projects and accelerate global reforestation efforts.[23] As of March 10, 2025, Arbor Day Carbon had retired more forestry carbon credits on the American Carbon Registry than any other nonprofit (over 1.6 million).[24]
In 2024, the Arbor Day Foundation launched the Arbor Day Impact Fund. A venture capital firm that invests in founders and startups related to environmental causes.[25] This was done in an effort to boost and fund innovation in the tree-planting and climate solution spaces.[26] In 2025, the Impact Fund invested in Funga PBC,[27] an innovative climate start-up that combines the use of advanced data analytics, DNA sequencing and fungal communities to revitalize landscapes and soil.[28] Initial results have shown that Funga's methods can increase survival rate and increase tree growth by an average of 30%.[29]
The Arbor Day Foundation has recently expanded its offerings to include water stewardship initiatives. CEO Dan Lambe emphasized the connection, stating, "Water and trees are two natural resources that are inextricably linked. In order to protect water health, we must protect tree health."[30] The Arbor Day Foundation uses trees to play a vital role in filtering pollutants and recharging underground aquifers.[31] The Arbor Day Foundation has worked with various corporations to help them reach their water stewardship goals, includingNiagara Bottling.[32]
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