- Author: Russell D. Hill
Greetings from the 4-H Million Trees Project
I. Project Progress
- As of Valentine's Day, over 26,700 4-H youth have planted over 84,700 trees! Thanks to everyone involved in this service-learning project. (Locally, Weaver 4-H and Los Banos Community have contributed to the effort!)
- All U.S. and Canada 4-H youth are invited to join the 4-H Million Trees Project, plant some trees, and together do something big in the climate crisis.
II. Earth Day / Arbor Day / Global Youth Service Day 2010 Tree Planting Events
Spring 2010 is critical to 4HMT, and we hope to inspire all 4-H clubs and units to organize tree planting events for the triple-celebration of Earth Day/Arbor Day/Global Youth Service Day. We're targeting the weekend of April 24-25, 2010. (Clubs/units should choose the weekends that work best for them.) Please consider planting at least 40 trees in your area to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. This will be huge to help 4HMT reach toward its goal of planting 1 million trees by 2011 to help slow global climate change.
Please make the tree planting event your April community service project. The February youth executive board meeting would be the ideal time to select and plan this event. Please let us know if we can help. Some details to consider include:
- planting locations
- species of trees to plant
- size of trees
- plans to water and maintain trees for a couple of years until the roots have become established
- ways to pay for the trees and planting materials
III. Recent Success Stories
- Josh Akin of Trenton, FL just planted 3,000 trees, all by himself, at his Grandpa's farm. Way to go Josh!
- Matthew Evans of Pflugerville, TX and his 4-H groups have recently planted over 3,000 trees. Please check his fantastic Discover Green website at http://www.discovergreenyel.org/ which highlight his dedication to local, national, and global environmental issues.
- The Bartlett Wolfchase 4-H from Memphis, TN is responsible for planting 4,000 trees in their area, and plans to plant more. Keep up the good work!
- The Sho Me 4-H Wildlife Project in Fair Grove, Missouri deserves recognition and thanks for their excellent work.
- 4HMT was at the Super Bowl! In association with the NFL Tree Growalition, Miami Dade County, FL 4-Hers recently planted trees the week before the Super Bowl with professional football players from the Miami Dolphins! Please see the attached photo. Thanks RobRoy McGregor, the Scottish bike-riding, kilted, tree-planting ambassador (www.bike4treees.com).
- 4HMT project founder and teen leader, Laura Webber, just returned from Calgary, Alberta, Canada where she ran a leg in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Torch Relay. She was selected by the relay sponsor, Cola-Cola, because of her efforts to help the environment through this project.
Great things can happen for kids that start projects in their passion areas, and all it takes is an idea, some dedication, and follow-through. Then the good things start to happen, such as Laura's once-in-a-lifetime Olympic experience. Please encourage all 4-H youth to start community service projects.
Check Laura's torchbearer webpage and the cool photo at http://www.livepositively.com/#/olympic_torch_relay/l_webber and check the other torchbearers' stories at http://www.livepositively.com/#/olympic_torch_relay.
IV. Publicity
Public Relations is very important to help spread the word about the 4-H Million Trees Project, and to let people know that 4-H youth are active leaders in their communities. Therefore, please encourage 4-Hers to write articles for their local newspapers about their tree planting events, and/or invite the paper's reporters to cover them. Adult leaders, please help the kids get interviewed for these articles. TV news shows love stories about kids planting trees, so please invite the TV stations to cover the events. TV interviews are great experience, and provide a highlight in the record book.
Thanks for supporting the 4-H Million Trees Project!
Tom Webber
Project Leader
Laura Webber
Project Founder and Teen Leader
4-H Million Trees Project