4-H Delivers

4-H Million Trees

The Issue

The deteriorating state of our environment has steadily become a concern to citizens around the world. We are constantly bombarded with images of cars emitting exhaust fumes and factories releasing harmful fumes into the air. Greenhouse gases are publicized everywhere we look. The negative effects of reducing the world’s tree population while increasing pollution are well known to even young children. As a result, there have been many public works and movements towards a cleaner tomorrow. However, while there are many ongoing projects aimed at reducing the output of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, there is very little being done to reduce pollution that is already present.

What has 4-H Done?

In 2007, the 4-H Million Trees Project (4HMT) was initiated with the goal of planting one million trees. Started by members of the Belmont 4-H Club in San Mateo, the project was inspired by the film “An Inconvenient Truth.” With this inspiration, the project was not only adopted by the club's youth board of directors but also received enthusiastic acclaim as the number of members involved rose exponentially. 4-H members across the continent realized that planting trees would help reduce the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and prevent pollutants while also beautifying an area.

Now an international project, 4-H Million Trees claims youth volunteers from clubs across U.S. and Canada. Their website, http://www.4hmilliontrees.org/, teaches interested members about the project and tells them how to join the effort. 4-H clubs include tree education with the project. For example, 4HMT encourages members to plant native trees to insure optimal survival and adaptability.

The Arbor Day Foundation has joined with 4-H Million Trees, providing 12 area-specific trees to clubs and units. 4HMT recently established a partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuges, permitting clubs to plant their trees on wildlife refuges.

To date, 4-H Million Trees has engaged 25,974 members across 42 states in planting 72,610 trees.

The Payoff

The trees planted will have a positive effect on the environment. The 70,000 trees already planted remove air pollutants from their surroundings, capture storm water (thereby reducing polluted runoff and erosion), and save energy costs by shading homes in the summer and providing a layer of insulation during winter months. In addition, the members and volunteers involved in the project learn valuable life skills and provide a wonderful service for their community and future generations.

Still growing in size and initiative, the 4-H Million Trees Project has proved yet again that 4-Hers can change the world around them for the better.

Author: Tom Webber, San Mateo County 4-H volunteer