Arbor Day (April 28) encourages us to join the world in making a step to resolving disparity, inequality and environmental justice for mankind by reforesting rural and urban land. Nature-poor neighborhoods negatively impact social, economic, and wellness of residents. Joining forces in planting even 1 million trees will start the change by absorbing 24,000 tons of CO2, stabilizing climate, releasing oxygen, restoring fish and animal habitat, and working on neighborhood tree equity urban heat island effects.

The Washington Tree Equity Collaborative was created this April to work on tree equity by joining DNR, tribal, city, community, companies and research. Hillary Franz DNR director states, “We must invest like never before in order to ensure our most vulnerable community have clear air and are better protected from extreme heat.”

This is not the first time the US has joined to plant trees. The CCC planted 3.5 billion trees from 1933 to 1942, earning the nickname, “Roosevelt’s tree army”. Of all of the trees planted in our nation’s history, the CCC has planted more than one half of our forests.

Volunteering to plant trees does not only include Arbor Day. Try joining local or worldwide organizations by checking out groups working year-around to improve our world.