American Forests is the nation's oldest nonprofit citizens' conservation group. They have planted 25 million native trees through more than 500 projects. Their Hurricane Katrina and Wildfire "Re-Leaf" programs highlight their concerns for the American citizen. American Forests works to protect, restore and enhance the natural capital of trees and forests in the United States. Healthy forests filter water, remove air pollution, sequester carbon, and provide homes for wildlife. Help plant trees to restore areas damaged by wildfire, where critical wildlife habitat has been lost, and to clean our air and water

GreenDimes is pleased to partner with American Forests to provide tree planting resources right here at home. We currently offer The Tree Tee at our parent site, https://www.tonicgen.com/ -- purchase of this shirt will result in the planting of 25 trees right here in the U.S.

Since 1997, SHI has worked with more than 1,000 families and 900 students in Honduras, Panama, Belize and Nicaragua implementing alternatives to slash-and-burn farming, the leading cause of rainforest destruction in the region. Working with local field personnel trained by SHI, participants have planted more than 2,000,000 trees in Honduras, Belize, Nicaragua, and Panama. The organization has earned Charity Navigator's highest 4-star rating for the second consecutive year.

GreenDimes is proud to support SHI's tree planting efforts with donations totaling more than $50,000.

SHI Founder and President, Florence Reed, (right) and SHI participant farmer, Ermita Roches, (left) plant tree seedlings in Belize.

This leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) tree is one of the many varieties Sustainable Harvest International's staff in Central America encourage families to plant on their farms. Leucaenas are leguminous and replenish soil by fixing nitrogen through their roots. These trees can be used to improve soil quality, provide a cover story for shade-loving crops, prevent erosion and protect watersheds.

Leuceana can be inter-planted with crops like corn which need a lot of nitrogen. This is a technique called ally cropping where a row of nitrogen-fixing trees are planted between rows of crops like corn. The trees feed nitrogen to the corn and when they grow tall and shade the crop, they can be cut back to a stump and will continue to grow. Leaves and stems that are cut can be left on the soil as a mulch and the wood can be used for building materials, fence posts or fuel. In addition to being good for mulch, leucaena leaves are also excellent feed for animals like goats and sheep. Leucaena is native to Mexico and Central America. (From SHI website

Since 1989, Trees for the Future has been helping communities around the world plant trees. Through seed distribution, agro-forestry training, and our country programs, we have empowered rural groups to restore tree cover to their lands. Planting trees protects the environment and helps to preserve traditional livelihoods and cultures for generations. GreenDimes is supporting tree planting projects in Senegal, India, and Haiti, where we have contributed over $30,000 to plant over 250,000 trees.

While almost one million acres of land in Assam, West Bengal, and other regions in Northwest India and Bangladesh get flooded regularly, the people of Tamil Nadu in southeastern India, 1,000 miles away from the flood zones, are struggling with drought and a lack of fresh water. Trees have been cleared, erosion is stripping topsoil from farmlands, and little rainwater is channeled back into aquifers. In the end of 2004, the great tsunami hit Tamil Nadu causing further destruction to an already struggling region.

Trees for the Future is planting trees in these regions of Asia, as well as in Senegal where farmers have depleted nutrients in the soil of their agricultural lands from years of punishing farming techniques. TFTF is coordinating an intensive program delivering on-site training and planning to eighty (90) families in twenty (20) communities as they establish agro-forestry technologies in and around gardens and crop fields. This project emphasizes a very strong training content and has planted over 750,000 trees. TFTF has brought together the efforts of local NGOs, Peace Corps, and the Senegalese Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry, all of whom are currently using TFTF's training sites.