The Great Clean Air Tree Planting Project
The Great Clean Air Tree Planting Project made history in Southern California on October 27th and December 1st, 2007 when thousands of volunteers from across the region planted 5,000 trees in at parks, schools, along sidewalks, medians and in their own backyards as part of national “Make a Difference Day.” Coordinated by United Voices, the Project will reached across Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, and is believed to be the largest volunteer tree planting undertaken in the state.
The effort was coordinated and managed by United Voices for Healthier Communities, a coalition of organizations led by the California Urban Forest Council, the Western Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture, and California ReLeaf. Funding for their historic effort was provided by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, Cal Fire (formerly the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection) and The Britton Fund.
Individuals, families and organizations as diverse as community groups, arbor professionals, classmates, youth groups and Boy & Girl Scouts joined the effort, which is continuing to recruit new volunteers, and add additional planting sites throughout 2008.
The Great Clean Air Tree Planting Project resulted in a massive reduction in carbon dioxide and pollutants. On October 27, we began cleaning the air and when the trees mature, they will remove at least 840 tons of carbon dioxide and 24,160 pounds of pollutants out of our air every year for decades. As impressive as those numbers are, we expect them to grow substantially larger when individuals and families join the effort by planting even one tree in their yards. Participants also learned about long term tree care, insuring that the thousands of trees planted will help clean the air for decades to come.
Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air to form carbohydrates that are used in the tree’s structure and function.