Plant Trees 4 Life

 trees

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Where will my tree be planted and what kind of tree?
    Colorado:
    Currently Plant Trees 4 Life is planting in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
    Our first 500 trees were planted by the Independence Pass Foundation.
    The 1st set of 250 trees were planted at the Lincoln Campground. This is part of a new program, to establish a small tree nursery, on the Pass to replace beetle-kill. The type of tree planted is the Lodgepole Pine.
    The second set of 250 trees were planted at the Weller Cut just above mile marker 49 on HWY 82 below the Weller Campground. IPF will be planting Colorado Blue Spruce and Englemann Spruce as part of their ongoing re-vegetation work at that location. We have successfully planted another 1,000 trees to reforest devastated areas with our partner in Aspen, Colorado. To see our partner for this project please visit their site.
    We have completed a planting with the Canary Initiative on the Aspen School Grounds to help achieve their goals of carbon offsets for the Roaring Fork Valley. 24 Douglas Firs and 20 Ponderosa Pines were planted around the sledding hill at Aspen Middle School. These trees were chosen because they are attractive, hardy, and store relatively large amounts of carbon dioxide. Planting a mix of species will maximize beauty and resilience to disease. As the trees grow, they will store an estimated 130.5 tons of carbon dioxide. In 2010 we proudly have a total of 108 trees planted on the Aspen school grounds.
    2011
    We are proud to call the Independance Pass Foundation our partners and have successfully planted another 750 trees on the pass this season. The projects which executive Director, Mark Fuller has organized an completed: This year they planted in the following areas: Below the road near the summit (mile marker 60-61), at the scenic turnout below the summit (mm59), at the Independence Ghost Town (mm 55), at the Winter Gate (mm 46-47) at the Lincoln Creek Lodgepole Nursery (mile 2 on the Lincoln Creek Road) and at the old Weller Parking Lot (mm 49.5) IPF planted approximately 900 seedling lodgepole pines supplied by the US Forest Service. Projects were aimed at beautification, reclamation, soil stabilization, wildlife habitat enhancement, carbon offset and beetle-kill replacement. All seedlings were 2 years old and approximately 20" high. Projects were undertaken by the Aspen Country Day School, the Aspen Middle School, the Aspen Youth Center, inmate work crews from the Buena Vista Correctional Facility and PT4L volunteers. The IPF has allowed us to be a part of history in the Rocky Mountains.
    Florida:
    We will be planting with the Withlacoochee River Park in Pasco County. Native trees will be planted sustaining a natural habitat and will benefit the wildlife in the forest. This will be on public accessible land. Our focus will be to choose the trees that produce the most oxygen and a tree with longevity, which will help with carbon offset. We are working towards reforesting the devastation created from natural disasters.
    California:
    In Addition, Plant Trees 4 Life is actively working with public and private agencies along the California coast which includes the Monterey Peninsula.
    Our goals are to revegetate and reforest with native species. Our efforts combined, will create various tree plantings which we are working diligently to help sustain our environment. Updates for specific projects to follow.
    The location of the plantings depends on need. We work with various organizations around each state to reforest and/or plant in areas of the highest need first.

    The Sugar Pine Foundation (SPF) is a South Lake Tahoe-based non-profit organization that is working to save Tahoe's sugar pines and other white pines from the threat of a non-native, incurable fungus called white pine blister rust. Although blister rust kills over 95% of trees it infects, approximately 3-5% of sugar pines possess a natural genetic resistance to the fungus. The SPF identifies resistant seed trees, collects their cones and plants their progeny. The SPF hosts planting events with local volunteers and schoolchildren throughout the Tahoe region in the spring and the fall. Since 2008, the SPF has successfully planted over 28,000 blister rust resistant sugar pine seedlings in the Lake Tahoe Basin and surrounding areas. By planting these trees, the SPF is helping to restore this beautiful and ecologically important native tree to keep Tahoe's forests healthy and vibrant for generations to come.
    If your organization would like trees for planting, please contact us.
  2. Can I have the tree planted exactly where I want?
    With the thousands of trees planted, it is impossible to know exactly where your specific tree was planted. The trees are planted on public and private land. We will update the website periodically with new pictures of our planting sites for you to see.
  3. When will my tree be planted?
    As soon as the soils are prepared and ready for planting the propagator will be sure to have the companies they work with planting appropriate times of the season.
  4. How do I get the certificate/plaque?
    As soon as you order, your Tree-Free certificate is prepared and sent out to the recipient of your choice. Bamboo Plaques may take up to 7-10 business days for our plaque engraver to produce and mail your plaque.
  5. Is your website secure?
    Ordering online is secure through our site. Our check-out page where transaction data is entered is SSL Secured and certified by leading security sites THWATE and McAfee Security.
  6. Are there any other costs involved?
    The trees purchased are $18, with discounts for multiple trees. Domestic (US) customers are charged an additional $1 for the cost of mailing the Tree-Free certificate; International customers are charged an additional $3 for the cost of mailing the Tree-Free certificate.
    Customers have the option to upgrade their certificate to a beautiful 10"x 8" engraved Bamboo plaque. The cost of this is +$75 for one plaque, +$140 for two plaques, and +$180 for three plaques (please contact us for larger quantities).
    Regardless of the number of plaques ordered, the cost of shipping the plaque(s) (via USPS Priority Mail) is $12 for domestic (USA) orders, $25 for orders to Canada and Mexico, and $35 for the rest of the World.
    Colorado and Eagle County residents will have the appropriate local taxes added to the order.
  7. Where does the money go from your company?
    We will be working with areas that have been devastated by natural disasters and human ecological destruction. All monies raised through the organization will go to planting trees, towards our goal of 1,000,000 trees in 10 years through working with like-minded organizations.

Information

Plant Trees 4 Life is dedicated to environmental protection by dramatically increasing the number of trees on the planet. The company is currently creating relationships in many states, to plant sustainable native ecosystems according to each state's particular geographical needs. Our goal is both to sequester carbon and reduce global warming. We can achieve these goals by educating and inspiring the public and "our children" to better understand the importance of nurturing living trees as an essential, responsible human action.

What kind of trees do you plant?
We predominantly plant Colorado Blue Spruce Trees. The Blue Spruce tree is the Colorado State tree. The Colorado Blue Spruce can live up to 600 years! We chose this tree because of its beauty, resilience to pests and longevity. We have also planted Lodgepole Pine, Engelmann Spruce, Ponderossa Pine, Douglas Firs, and Sugar Pine.

Is the Colorado Blue Spruce impacted by the beetle infestation ?
The Colorado Blue Spruce trees are not affected by the type of beetle that is currently infesting the forests of Colorado, known as the Mountain Pine Beetle. Blue Spruce Trees are a great replacement for Lodgepole Pines that have been killed due to the beetle infestation. Colorado continues to see a great number of trees dying because of the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic. Thankfully, the Blue Spruce is not affected by this pest.

How do the trees improve the land?
AIR - All trees intake carbon dioxide and create the oxygen necessary for all life. Weather patterns are also affected as trees encourage increased rainfall. Trees also stabilize temperatures in forests, and increase air humidity.
SOIL - Tree roots anchor the soil, preventing valuable topsoil from eroding through wind or rain. Falling leaves and needles decompose, providing rich elements for the soil. Planting trees prevents desertification and erosion. Desertification is occurring all over the globe at a rate of over 14 million acres per year. The result of both climatic changes and destructive uses of our earth's skin: her soil. Planting trees with sound propagation from nursery to irrigation techniques provide for soil reclamation, preservation and enrichment for both people and wildlife.
WATER - The tree you plant helps to prevent harmful land pollutants contained in soils from entering waterways. Your tree slows down water run-off, ensuring that groundwater supplies are continually replenished.
WILDLIFE - Where forests and trees are replenished, wildlife returns. Trees are critical components of a biodiversity habitat - not only for humans and the mega-fauna, but to the smaller species such as songbirds and insects. Without this delicate balance, we could see our global ecosystems collapsing.

What can trees do for us?
SHADE - Trees make our homes and neighborhoods cooler, reducing utility bills in the summer. A shaded neighborhood is not only appealing but it also creates a majestic closed canopy and cooler temperatures.
ECONOMICALLY VALUABLE- Healthy mature trees are not only beautiful, they can add up to an estimated 10% to your property values.
NOISE FILTERS - Trees are natural filters of all the familiar city sounds by absorbing and deflecting sounds.
AIR FILTERS - Through trees natural functions, they help trap pollutants such as carbon dioxide and dust, giving us oxygen and purified air.
WIND - Trees protect us against wind by diverting it over and around us. Evergreen species planted on the northern exposures can reduce the cold northern winds during winter.
QUALITY OF LIFE - A complete and healthy urban landscape includes the trees of the urban forest. The city forest includes all the trees within its limits. These urban forests enhance the visual and environmental quality of the city.

Ways to Contribute

There are two ways for you to contribute: