OMAHA, Neb (KMTV) — Back in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation set a goal.
They wanted to plant a lot of trees — a half billion in total.
“500 million trees is hard to get your head wrapped around, but it really is a testament to the legacy of work over the course of 51 years of our organization and the scale of our growth to accomplish this milestone,” said Katie Loos, president of the Arbor Day Foundation.
On Thursday, the Arbor Day Foundation announced they had accomplished that goal and those 500 million trees are taking root across the planet.
“We plant trees in every state here in the United States and we plant trees in 50 countries across the globe as well. Those trees are in forests, front yards, back yards, and rainforests,” said Loos.
One thing that has grown along with the organization is the focus on where trees are planted.
“We know that there is inequity in where trees are in cities across the US and across the globe. We want to use that data to put trees where they are needed, “said Loos.
Tree inequity is unfortunately an issue in Omaha.
According to the Tree Equity Score Analyzer, most of Omaha has great tree and canopy coverage, but some parts of North and South Omaha lack significant coverage.
“They clean our air, they clean our water, they provide habitat for wildlife and they help to sequester carbon and pull it out of the air as well. They can actually reduce the temperatures in cities by 10 degrees by having a full canopy of trees so every individual should have the opportunity and right to access that tree equity,” said Loos.
With the 500 million tree milestone behind them, the Arbor Day Foundation is looking forward to its next goal. They want to plant another half a billion trees but instead of doing it in 50 years, this time they want to do it in five.
It's a lofty goal, but Loos feels she has the team in place to get it done.
“Part of the excitement is the team members we have to help us accomplish this goal. We have a fantastic team of individuals all across the country to help us do our work and we have a growing network of partners we can hope to activate or mobilize to get into the ground, “ said Loos.
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