by Lauretta James, Medford Energy Committee
Photo courtesy of the Arbor Day Foundation website
When you need that last minute gift, forgot a special occasion (Valentine’s Day, Anniversary, etc.), are stuck in the house like we are now with over 50″ of snow, have the flu or just want to give a thoughtful unique gift; you can give a heartwarming, earth-friendly, greenest gift of all immediately, anytime of day. The gift of a living TREE.
You don’t need the space to plant a tree. Your gift of a tree can be planted in a National Forest in honor of someone.
There are several organizations that offer this service online or by telephone. These programs help replant forests that are damaged by fire, insect and disease. Read about reforestation here.
My favorite is the Arbor Day Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit conservation and education organization that inspires people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees.
The Arbor Day Foundation has several options to order gift trees at a very low cost with beautiful cards, certificates, E-Cards that are sent to the recipient for any occasion.
If you are in a rush and can’t wait for the regular mail delivery; E-Cards, ordered online, have several designs, let you write your own personal message, include 1 tree planted in a National Forest and are sent immediately to the email address you provide.
Planting trees in memory or celebration: starting at $10 dollars for 10 trees, each dollar donated plants a tree to honor that person in a National Forest. What’s great about this is you can download and print a personalized certificate on their website for last minute gifting and then email it to your recipient or order and ship a printed certificate.
Give-A-Tree cards: ordered online include many designs for all occasions, plants a tree in someone’s honor in a National Forest. Cards come with custom imprinting and some can be customized with a photo and are sent by regular mail.
A few of my favorites from Arbor Day Foundation are:
Photo courtesy of the Arbor Day Foundation website
Always In My Heart card; “In celebration of you, a tree has been planted in a National Forest.”
Money on Trees card that says: ” Money doesn’t grow on trees, just in case, one is being planted in a National Forest in your honor. Congratulations!”
and my most favorite is:
The Trees in Memory Certificate that says,
“If you seek my monument look around you.”
In addition; when purchasing 10 or more trees the Arbor Day Foundation has an Online Tree Registry to check where trees were planted in someone’s honor.
You can also purchase live trees for an event, for yourself or as a gift.
They also offer a “plant a grove of trees” and new membership comes with 10 free plantable trees that you could share or give as gifts.
The benefits of having trees in our environment are a necessity to our life. Trees provide oxygen, filter air, filter water, provide wildlife habitat, provide shade and cooling in summer and wind breaks in winter and increase property value to name a few. A mature leafy tree can produce as much oxygen that 10 people inhale in a year. Some large trees can drink up to 100 gallons of water a day, thereby helping to prevent flooding and soil erosion.
A tree keeps on giving and can be gifted for any occasion: Graduations, Mother’s Day, Employee Recognition, Births
Photo courtesy of the Arbor Day Foundation website
AND just because you care.
The City of Medford has made a commitment to invest in Trees and for 16 years has been designated a Tree City USA community by the Arbor Day Foundation.
Note: at the time of writing the E-Card option on the Arbor Day Foundation website has been under maintenance and not available, however, the Plant Trees in Memory or Celebration instant or mailed option is available here
What a beautiful sentiment. This is a beautiful idea and a well said. The timing couln’t be more perfect, as we all need hope for spring to grace us. Kudos to Lauretta James.