Girl Scouts to Plant 5 Million Trees

Ellen C. Wells

Girl Scouts USA has announced a commitment to planting 5 million trees by 2026. Spurred by U.S. girls’ concern about climate change, Girl Scouts USA (GSUSA) is working with the Elliott Wildlife Values Project, American Forests and SciStarter to launch the Girl Scout Tree Promise. The Promise is a national protection initiative to plant 5 million trees across the country in the next five years.

Not only will the Scouts plant these trees, they will commit themselves to protecting those and the ones already in the existing U.S. tree cover. By planting and helping to maintain these trees, their hope is to not only eliminate more than 2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, these trees will also provide habitat for wildlife, which is taking a bruising from a changing climate.

The best part? Everyone—Girl Scouts and all us other folks—can participate. Everyone who plants a tree can record it through the online tree tracker. Planting trees for your customers? Get them counted toward the 5 million! You can even get a patch.

Be aware of the program in case Girls Scouts come to your store looking for trees. Be prepared to answer their questions and possibly be hit up for some free trees. Have a plan in place. These young ladies sell literally tons of cookies each year and they do have some funds for purchases and interactive activities that help them earn nature badges. And you do also want to do good deeds for a worthy initiative. Take a few moments now to familiarize yourself with the Girl Scout Tree Promise at tinyurl.com/2exktzej. GP