Earth Day has seen quite the transformation in the 50 years since its inception. Starting in 1970, it gave a voice to emerging public concern about the future of our planet. Now a global movement, Earth Day mobilizes 1 billion individuals every year. It brings to the forefront critical conversations about environmental protection, climate change, and wildlife preservation.
Earth Day highlights the power of individual contribution for the greater good. Sharing responsibility for saving the planet means everyone doing their part to ensure the health and survival of our only home. We do it for the planet but we also do it for the people we love.
Better Place Forests is incredibly proud to be an active participant in this work. The investments we make in our forests fight for a brighter, more promising future for those we care about. Learn more about our forest protection practices, and what we’re doing to ensure forests, and their diverse wildlife ecosystems, are preserved for generations to come.
How Better Place Forests helps protect forests and wildlife
Conservation and protection of forests — and the wildlife within them — is key to protecting the planet. That’s because they’re one of the most critical and powerful mitigators of climate change: they remove more CO2 on an annual basis than anywhere else on Earth.
Forests are home to 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity, including an unknown number of species yet to be discovered. Without healthy forest flora and fauna, other critical ecosystems are jeopardized, like a ripple effect. Land once protected by forests would be more prone to drought, disastrous floods, and massive erosion, impacting oceans and marine habitats.
Forest protection is at the core of our mission at Better Place Forests. We work to expand the protection of vulnerable forests that may otherwise be used for other purposes, like development. When picking our forests, we engage with local conservation organizations to identify land with high conservation value and strong community support. This ensures we can best maintain the forests under our care.
Once we’ve obtained the land, we put in place a lifetime of stewardship and conservation efforts, such as regular assessments to check for disease, overcrowding, or fire risk. When you choose Better Place Forests, you’re choosing an organization committed to maintaining each of our forests for your lifetime and more.
Helping our forests stay healthy serves as a ripple effect: it means the species diversity and the rare ecosystems within those forests can thrive, too. Animal ecosystems aren’t one-size-fits-all — they rely on specific habitats for shelter, food, and migration. When we protect the natural richness and variety of particular habitats, wildlife can flourish.
Protecting existing forests is important because older and larger trees are able to store the most carbon — something newer trees aren’t yet able to do as efficiently. Incredibly, over half the carbon in forests is stored in the largest 1% of trees. Long-standing trees, like the ones in our forests, have the biggest potential to help our planet now. This is a huge focus of our work at Better Place Forests. By placing conservation easements on our properties through accredited land trusts, we’re ensuring our forests will live and grow to their fullest potential.
Additionally, we’re committed to replanting thousands of trees each year in partnership with the nonprofit One Tree Planted to help reforest America. When you reserve a tree, we plant 25-400 Impact Trees in areas affected by deforestation or forest fires. Since our partnership began in 2016, Better Place Forests has donated over 200,000 trees to One Tree Planted to support several reforestation and planting projects across the country; 50,000 trees were donated in 2020 alone to honor our customers. We look forward to continuing our efforts into 2021 and beyond.
Creating a legacy that’s good for the planet
Protecting our forests allows us to continue to make them accessible to you and your loved ones. For many of us, some of our most cherished moments have been spent in nature. We want to make sure it’s there — preserved and flourishing — for future generations to enjoy.
When we think of our legacy, it’s important that it be tied to a place that represents our favorite memories. Better Place Forests gives you an opportunity to honor your connection to the natural world. Mixing your ashes with the native soil at the base of your tree allows you to return to the Earth naturally while being a part of the continuation of life. You’re giving your family a special place to remember you, while also doing your part to protect the planet and the people you love.
With Better Place Forests, you can feel confident that your memorial tree — and its forest — will be in good hands after you’re gone. To learn more about tying your legacy to one of our beautiful forests, book a free online forest tour.
