Memorial Tree | The Gifted Tree

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Plant a Tree In Memory To Help Improve Water Quality

The Gifted Tree plants a lot of trees in memory. In fact, since we started doing so in Ireland in 2013, we have planted over 150,000 trees in United States National Forests and in projects around the world. Most people think that we plant trees to help reforest areas after devastating forest fires. And we do so, especially in planting projects out west and in Florida. But a number of planting projects’ goals are to help improve water quality in areas in the vicinity of the planting projects as well as further down stream.

Before zeroing in on how planting trees can improve water quality, it is important to understand nature’s water flow. When it rains or snow melts, water runoff is created. The water moves over the surface of the land and is absorbed into the ground or continues on its natural course into streams, rivers, lakes, and other water tributaries. Runoff can occur on natural surfaces like soil, grass, or forest floors, as well as on impermeable surfaces like roads, rooftops, and sidewalks. Runoff can carry pollutants such as chemicals, sediments, and debris into nearby water bodies, which has a profound impact on water quality. Managing water runoff is important in urban planning, agriculture, and environmental protection to prevent issues like flooding, soil erosion, and contamination of water sources.

The planting of trees in the right location can help manage the runoff of this water, acting as a natural filter. Over time, tree loss has harmed water sources by not filtering the pollutants and sentiments that can flow into water sources after rain and snow melt. Trees can help absorb this runoff and thus play a crucial role in the water flow ecosystem.

How Do Trees Help Manage Water Runoff?

1. Canopy Interception

Trees intercept rainfall with their leaves and branches, slowing down the rate at which water reaches the ground. This reduces the volume of runoff and allows more time for water to infiltrate the soil rather than flowing directly into storm drains or water bodies.

2. Root Absorption and Infiltration

Tree roots absorb water from the soil, helping to reduce the amount of water that becomes runoff. Roots also help improve soil structure, creating channels for water to infiltrate deeper into the ground. This enhances groundwater recharge and decreases surface runoff.

3. Soil Stabilization

Tree roots bind the soil together, reducing erosion caused by runoff. By stabilizing the soil, trees prevent sediments from being washed away into nearby water bodies, which helps maintain water quality and reduce sedimentation in rivers and lakes.

4. Evapotranspiration

Trees release water back into the atmosphere through a process called evapotranspiration. This helps reduce the overall amount of water that becomes runoff, contributing to a balanced water cycle.

5. Shading and Cooling

Trees provide shade, reducing soil temperature and evaporation rates. Cooler soil temperatures and reduced evaporation mean more water is available to infiltrate the ground, decreasing runoff.

6. Reducing Impermeable Surface Impact

In urban areas, trees planted along streets and in parks can help reduce the impact of impermeable surfaces (like concrete and asphalt) by absorbing water and preventing excess runoff from these hard surfaces.
By managing water runoff, trees help mitigate flooding, reduce pollution in waterways, and promote healthier ecosystems.

The Gifted Tree’s Water Improvement Projects

The Gifted Tree has a number of planting projects around the country whose stated goal is to help stabilize soil around streams and thus help improve water quality. Several of these projects are listed below:

Oregon

This planting project is along the Willamette River Valley south of Portland. Our memorial and celebration trees filter excess sediment, nutrients and toxins before they enter this vital water source. The trees also provide shade for streams, making them healthy environments for fish, such as Oregon’s rainbow trout, steelhead and Chinook salmon.

Pennsylvania

This The Gift Tree planting project is along the Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania and it exists to protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The collective goal of the planting project is to buffer the approximately 6,250 miles of Pennsylvania streams within the watershed, the main one being the Susquehanna River which delivers half of the freshwater entering the Bay. As a result, drinking water sources are cleansed and native water habitat is improved which makes the fish and other wildlife in the area very happy.

Maryland

This Gifted Tree planting project is along the Chesapeake Bay watershed in Garrett, Allegany, and Washington Counties, Maryland. The overall goal of the project is similar to our other water improvement projects: through the planting of trees, improve the water quality of the stream water flowing into the Chesapeake Bay.

These are three examples of The Gifted Tree’s planting project whose main goal in planting memorial trees and celebration trees is to improve water quality for millions of people who reside in their watershed districts. Tree root systems play an amazing filtering role in the soil and these new plantings will help reduce the levels of nitrogen, phosphorous, and sediment that exist in the Chesapeake Bay, Willamette River, and other water sources. These are problems that affect many natural areas in the face of intensive agricultural practices and increasing human development. The reforestation effort will also aid in erosion control, flood mitigation and storm water management, and help promote population rebounds of vulnerable and threatened wildlife. Be sure to contact us with any questions you might have. Or better yet, plant memorial trees or celebration trees to show a loved one or a friend that you care, as well as to start helping improve water quality today.

August 27, 2024/by Doug Bell

News

7 Reasons We Are Different (and Better)

A memorial gift tree is a powerful remembrance gift. A celebration gift tree is a memorable way to acknowledge a milestone event. Not only do these plantings honor a person or pet, but it also gives the earth a gift too by helping reforest areas ravaged by forest fires, deforestation and climate change. The Gifted Tree understands that you, the customer, have a number of company options that can plant your gift tree and announce the donation to the recipient or to the honoree’s family. We have occasionally been asked the question, “Why should we use The Gifted Tree for our memorial or celebration tree plantings?” We gave the question a great deal of thought and came up with seven reasons why The Gifted Tree is different and makes us the best option for planting your gift tree and sending a tribute card or animated eCard.

Reason 1. The Gifted Tree can plant your gift tree in multiple locations worldwide.

While our competitors give you options of planting locations only in United States forests, The Gifted Tree can plant your gift tree in 30+ countries on six continents around the globe. The entire planet needs trees, not just the United States. We have all read about forest fires ravaging Australia, Spain and Portugal. Also, the clearcutting of forests in the Amazon to expand agricultural land availability has been well documented. And the cutting down of trees in Asia and Africa so that families have firewood to cook their next meal is an ever-present actuality. Each of our planting projects around the world has its own goal, explained on the website. While we certainly plant a lot of trees in the U.S., and love to do so, the person you are honoring might have a connection to an international country and makes your commemorative gift even more special. That is why we offer you global options. (By the way, the country where your gift tree is planted is noted on the tribute certificate!)

Reason 2. The Gifted Tree sends unique, creative, and memorable certificates.

Most of our competitors send a generic card or a pdf that you can print out at home on your computer, both likely to quickly end up in the trash can. The Gifted Tree sends tributes that will stand out and ensure you connect on a personal level with someone important to you, as well as likely to be kept long-term and even displayed in the home. Our tributes are hand-crafted with a personal touch to make sure you stand out. Tributes come in different price points (all very affordable) and no matter which one you choose, they are suitable for display on a desk, bookshelf, or mantelpiece. As a bonus, each tribute includes a handmade seed paper heart that can be planted (instructions are printed on the back) to grow a small patch of wildflowers. A complete thoughtful and memorable package.

Reason 3. The Gifted Tree helps you find the right words to write on the tribute certificate.

Ever struggle to find just the right words, be it a sad or happy occasion? We all do from time to time. We can take a little weight off your shoulders by offering a range of heartfelt message options for you to include on your gift tree certificate. Just click on the one that feels right for you and that is what we will print on your certificate. Or if inspiration does strike, you can write your own. Either way, your voice and sentiments shine through showing your support, providing comfort, and making a lasting impact in a unique and different way.

Reason 4. Quick Turn Around

The Gifted Tree realizes that getting the tribute to the recipient in a timely fashion is vital. You want them to know that you are thinking of them. That is why we produce and get your tribute in the mail quickly. Usually your order is completed within one business day, and many times the same day we receive your order. Of course, for a speedier delivery, our premium animated digital eCards do the trick awesomely and quickly.

Reason 5. The Gifted Tree offers virtual tours of the planting project areas.

Not only does The Gifted Tree plant your gift tree to help restore fire-damaged or climate change affected forests, or replant trees in impoverished communities, we provide more. Each of our tributes contains an insert explaining how the recipient can learn more about the planting project where their gift tree is planted (which is indicated on the tribute certificate). Additionally, there is a link to Bing earth maps allowing those with a computer or smart phone the opportunity to virtually view the general area of their tree planting. We want you to know how your trees is making a lasting difference in the world.

Reason 6. Superb customer service

When we started planting gift trees in 2013, one thing that struck me was that many of our competitors did not have a listed phone number contact or chat feature. The Gifted Tree offers both. If you would like to speak to a human, our toll-free number (800-984-2101) is listed at the top of every one of our website pages. We are available to personally answer questions so that you are comfortable with what you are ordering. If a phone call is not your thing, The Gifted Tree has a chat function available during business hours, and of course the ability to send us an email, which we will answer promptly. Our customer comments focus on our superb customer service and further highlight why we are the “Company With a Personal Touch.”

Reason 7. The Gifted Tree is a trusted and accredited organization.

We are a member of the Better Business Bureau and meet their rigorous standards to be a trusted organization. We realize in this day and age it is important to know that we are doing what we claim to be doing. We only want you to expect the best and feel comfortable in ordering from us. I am not aware of any of our competitors being able to boast of the same.

There you have it, the seven reasons why The Gifted tree is different and better than our competitors. We ask you to put us to the test! I know you will be impressed.

P.S. Of course while putting this list together, we came up with a few bonus reasons:

Optional card enclosure available when you want to add a personal message that might not be right to have on the certificate.
Our Trees for a Cause Grove allows you to not only plant a tree but have part of the proceeds of your order benefit a specific charity.
Finally, our certificates are hand-created by a human, not a computer. A second set of eyes, so to speak. Therefore, on the chance that there is a spelling or grammatical error on your order, we can correct it before sending (or contact you to verify.) And, we arrange the certificate in the best looking way because we know this gift represents you!

Get Started With The Gifted Tree

If you’re ready to get started with selecting your next gift tree for that special occasion or as a way to remember a loved one, look no further than The Gifted Tree. Have more questions? Visit our FAQ page to learn more or contact us today to get help.

February 24, 2021/by Doug Bell

How To

How to Write a Sympathy Card, Especially in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic

One of our most popular and revisited blogs was written over a year ago and focused on “How to Write a Sympathy Letter.” This page offers a range of heartfelt sympathy messages to include on the tree planting certificate when one struggles to find just the right words. There is a good reason why folks search out help when writing a condolence card, because it is not a simple task.

Unfortunately, this task has gotten even more difficult with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic as we have all experienced dramatic changes to our daily lives and regular routines. Helping those mourn has become complicated as we can’t gather to say goodbye, we can’t embrace the bereaved family and we can’t join as a community to celebrate a life well lived. Not only is it a difficult time and a difficult task, but it seems that just about everyone knows someone who has passed. After reading a recent article in The New York Times by Katherine Rosman, it got me thinking that perhaps it was a good time to revisit the subject of how to write a sympathy card, especially in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even at a time of perpetual Zoom gatherings and virtual hugs, the grieving process landscape has dramatically been altered. One of the sad effects of the coronavirus is social distance, which has kept us from physically comforting others during the times they are most desperate for a compassionate touch. It has made it that even more important to reach out and connect with someone close to you. Here at The Gifted Tree, we can help provide that support by planting memorial trees (and especially during these times, trees make a great alternative to funeral flowers.) The planting of the tree brings great comfort at a time of grieving and the ability to include a personal message on the certificate, as well as the optional accompanying card, is an ideal way to express your sentiments. Keep in mind that by sending a physical card, as opposed to text, not only does the tree planting certificates provide immediate comfort, but it is a wonderful keepsake to look back on at anniversaries and other times of reflections.

So, if you are struggling as you try to construct a sympathy message, realize this is a tough task.

Sympathy Message Writing Tips

Here are some suggestions (whether communicated on the tree certificate itself or via the separate card enclosure) for expressing sympathy clearly and supportively to the bereaved. As Ms. Rosman states in her article:

Keep in mind that it is important to consider the tone of your message and it is okay to convey an air of solemnity, even as you express personal warmth. You want to keep in mind the seriousness of the situation.
Be direct and do not meander. Start with the reason you are writing, such as I was so sorry to hear about the loss of your brother.
Be gentle and instead of using the word “death” you might want to substitute the word “loss” or “passing.”
If appropriate, explain how you knew the person, how well you knew the person and the role that the person played in your life. You might want to include a short memory of the deceased. The reader will cherish that memory.
Acknowledge unfamiliarity. Some of the most comforting condolence notes are sent not because we knew and loved the deceased, but because we care about the survivor(s). In this case, reflect on your affection for the person you are writing to as it relates to the death of their loved one.
Acknowledge current circumstances. Given the extraordinary ways that COVID-19 is interfering with end-of-life interactions and mourning rituals, it is appropriate to recognize this if you’re moved to do so.
Don’t stress about writing a long message. Short messages are just as powerful and, in most cases, better received.
Offer a wish for the future and conclude with a caring sign-off that is appropriate to your relationship with the recipient.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has forced people to forgo human-to-human interaction, which runs counter to all our instincts. While it may be challenging to write a condolence message, sometimes just getting started is the most difficult part. Using some of the above suggestions can hopefully be the jump start you need, and remember that you don’t have to be Shakespeare. Your memorable and simply presented message to honor a life well-lived will stand out and have a lasting impact, especially when it is accompanied by the planting of a tree. As one customer stated: “The tree planting and card message comforted me in a way I never expected they would.”

Get Started with the Gifted Tree

Send an everlasting tribute with the Gifted Tree. Show that you care by planting a beautiful tree in a U.S. National Forest or another location in one of 30 countries on six continents. A memorial tree is the most meaningful tribute to a life well-lived.

April 29, 2020/by Doug Bell

News

Plant a Gift Tree as a Unique Flower Alternative

Funeral flowers have always been the traditional bereavement gift to send when someone loses a cherished loved one. Sometimes, however, flowers are not appropriate or practical to send. As I write this during the COVID-19 pandemic, many flower shops are shut down and funeral services are extremely small if they are able to take place at all. However, now is an important time to send loved ones we’re separated from a memorable experience. Our deepest condolences go out to those affected by this crisis.

Gift trees planted in memory of a person or pet are a perfect remembrance gift and serve as an ideal alternative to sending flowers. Trees are still being planted in areas around the world where it is safe to do so or will start up again as soon as the conditions are right. The Gifted Tree plants in 30 plus countries around the world on six continents, and all of these areas are in desperate need of reforestation.

I have come up with five reasons why gift trees make unique flower alternatives which I will discuss more in depth below. I am sure there are more, but let us just focus on the five below:

Gift Trees Make a Powerful and Everlasting Tribute

Fresh flowers are beautiful and smell wonderful, but the fact of the matter is that they do only last a short period of time. Those sent from a florist are the freshest and best but will not survive much longer than a week. Furthermore, I have been at wakes and funeral services where the grieving family is inundated with flower arrangements. They have no way to transport them from the funeral home back home, nor do they have the space is their home to set them all out. Numerous times, because I am usually the last to leave, I am handed an arrangement to take simply because there is no other alternative except to throw them out.

A gift tree on the other hand can last for 100 years or more and grow from a sapling to a majestic living monument.

Gift Trees have a Lower Price Point

This is not meant to be disrespectful to the floral industry as I realize there are a lot of factors that go into the price of a flower arrangement from transportation, to labor, to waste. However, it is hard to place an order for an arrangement that is less than $100, especially if one has to add in the cost of delivery. And this is not for a giant arrangement. Furthermore, if one wants to send a funeral wreath or casket spray, the cost can run much much higher. Again, all beautiful, but not necessarily within everyone’s budget.

Gift trees can create a memorable experience and at a much lower price point. Plantings with a unique certificate sent to the family start at $12.95 at The Gifted Tree, and on average run between $29 – $34.

Gift Trees are Good for the Environment

While the flower industry is certainly making inroads on the environmental front, the fact is that a lot of flowers currently are not grown locally but grown overseas. Shipping them stateside has a huge carbon footprint impact. Pesticides is another issue as the flower industry is one of the largest users of pesticides in the world. Pesticides can have both an adverse effect on workers, as they rarely have training on the safe use and handling of the chemicals, plus, the runoff of the pesticides into nearby lakes and streams pose a threat to water systems. Finally, there is the issue of waste to consider, and I am not just talking about stems that are discarded or dead flowers that are pitched. Think about the non-biodegradable foam that is used to hold the arrangements in place and the protective plastic wrap that is used.

Gift trees not only show the recipient that you care but are a gift to the world too. Simply, the environmental benefits of trees are enormous, including helping the air that we breath and the water that we drink.

Gift Trees are Practical Even Months After the Funeral

It is sad to say, but in this day and age with friends and acquaintances spread out over the globe, sometimes I do not hear of a death until weeks after the fact. I catch wind of it on social media or I finally get a phone call with the news. The funeral service has long since passed and visitation is no longer. At this point, it would not be appropriate to send flowers to the residence of the family of the deceased.

Planting a gift tree accompanied by our beautiful presentation certificates makes sense and is always appreciated even months after the service. It even makes sense to plant a tree in memory a year later, marking the year anniversary of the death. So, if you are late to the process, there is no reason to fret as the planting of a gift tree will still be appropriate and appreciated.

Gift Trees Show You Care during the Difficult Time of Bereavement

Sure, sending flowers can help during this tough time, but planting a memorial gift tree has all the above added benefits which make it the perfect alternative to flowers. As one recipient of our gift tree packaged noted: “The tree planting certificate presentation is much more than a card, it is a whole experience that provided me comfort at a time of grieving.”

Remember, speaking of creating a memorable experience, sending gift trees for happy occasions is always a perfect alternative also. If you have any doubts, check this out for the right time to send a gift tree.

From all of us at The Gifted Tree, please stay safe and healthy!

March 27, 2020/by Doug Bell

How To

How To Know The Right Time To Send a Tree Gift

At The Gifted Tree we speak to many customers every day. Most are calling to plant a memorial tree for a family member, friend or someone they did not even know but are related to someone they know. They are genuinely touched to be able to connect with someone special to them and know that it helps the recipient in a time of grieving. Before ending the call with the customer, I always mention to think of The Gifted Tree during happier times, such as a wedding or birthday. This surprises them and the most common response is “Oh, I never thought about that as an occasion to plant a tree.” The fact is a gift tree in honor or celebration fits any occasion and boy does this world need to plant more trees!

The World Needs More Trees Planted

The news is full of stories about the growing deforestation issue in this country and around the world. The Australian bushfires are currently a daily news item and before that is was the fires in the Amazon rain forest. Fires are not the only destructive element existing. Disease is another major issue. Just this past week, my newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio had a headline talking about the shrinking tree canopy (https://bit.ly/2GyQwHK ). In the last decade, 5,000 football fields worth of trees are gone, and that is in only one county. The emerald ash bore is a major culprit (I lost 10 ash trees in my back yard in the last year to this disease), but so are more violent storms caused by climate change. Clear-cutting for suburban residential and industrial projects is another big factor. And this problem is not going away. Millions and millions of trees will need to be planted, and The Gifted Tree is here to help.

A Gift Tree Fits Any Occasion – Even Happy Ones!

When a colleague loses a parent or a friend’s dog dies, planting a memorial tree is an ideal way to express sympathy. But as mentioned above, gifting a tree fits every occasion. A birthday tree makes sense, especially for an older person who probably doesn’t need another “thing.” A wedding is another occasion where a gift tree will resonate with the couple as they look to establish their roots. Miss the wedding gift opportunity, don’t fret, a first or fifth anniversary gives you another opportunity. The first anniversary is the paper anniversary (paper comes from trees, get it?). And something I just learned; wood is the traditional gift for the fifth anniversary, so a tree fits perfectly.

Other situations also call for the planting of a gift tree. Acknowledging a teacher or coach who has gone above and beyond as well as honoring the birth of a baby who will grow as the gift tree blossoms and grows. Celebrating landing a dream job, getting a promotion or moving into a new home, all gift tree giving opportunities.

Don’t forget about planting a gift tree for a retirement or graduation. Or just a general “thinking of you” tree where you can let the recipient know that our lives are happier, richer, and more beautiful because of you, and with the planting of this tree in their honor, now our world will be too.

Gift Trees To Celebrate a Holiday? Yes!

But another reason I bring this up is that holidays are a perfect opportunity to give a gift tree. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, surprise a sweetheart with the planting of a gift tree. He or she will be more than touched by the gesture. They will realize that this is a gift to the world too!

Gift Trees – A Gift To The World Too

As you can see, there are many ways to celebrate or honor someone with the planting of a gift tree. And at The Gifted Tree, you can let your writing talents shine through too as each certificate has space for a custom, personalized message. But don’t stress if you struggle to find the right words. We all do from time to time, and The Gifted Tree can take a little weight off your shoulders by offering a range of heartfelt message options for you to include on your gift tree certificate. You can write your own message or use one of our suggestions. Either way, we’ll make sure your voice and your sentiments shine through. When all is said and done, not only does planting a gift tree fit every occasion, but you are giving the world a gift too!

January 30, 2020/by Doug Bell

How To

Support Our Military Kids & Help Fight Climate Change w/ our Trees for a Cause Program

The Gifted Tree has always helped the earth by planting trees worldwide to counteract the devastating effects of forest fires and climate change, but we have added a new wrinkle. Your gift tree will still help you connect with someone special to you and give the world a gift, too, but now you can also help support a meaningful cause.

Announcing Our Trees for a Cause Planting Program

The Gifted Tree’s Trees for a Cause charity donation program is a win-win-win partnership. Win 1 = Connect on a personal level with someone important to you and show them you care. Win 2 = By planting a tree, you are helping the earth, counteracting the devastating effects of forest fires and climate change. Win 3 = Directly help the hard work of a worthwhile cause by planting your gift tree in a charity-specific “Giving Grove,” located in a U.S. National Forest. When you choose our Trees for a Cause program, The Gifted Tree will donate 10% of the purchase price to that organization to help fund their valuable programs.

Our Military Kids Partnership with the Gifting Tree

Our first partnership is with Our Military Kids. Their “Giving Grove” is called the Empower Tree Grove and is located in a U.S. National Forest. Since 2004, Our Military Kids has empowered military kids by funding sports, arts, and other enrichment activities when their parents are deployed overseas with the National Guard or Reserves or recovering from severe injuries sustained in a post-9/11 overseas mission.

National Guard and Reserve families sometimes have trouble accessing support services from military installations. During deployments, these families may lose income when their military member leaves a civilian job to accept a military position overseas. The loss of income and lack of resources can create gaps that are hard on families. Our Military Kids fills these gaps with a simple grant program that pays for their children’s activities.

When military members are injured in service to our country, their families face many changes. They may have to move closer to medical care or change their comfortable routines. Children must often take a back seat while parents deal with more pressing issues related to medical care, financial strains, and other adult responsibilities. Our Military Kids grants ease the financial strain on parents while giving their children the chance to participate in positive activities that will help them laugh, grow, and feel connected to the community.

The History of Our Military Kids

In early 2004, Our Military Kids started small, with a pilot program focused on a National Guard unit from Winchester, Va. The pilot program was extremely successful, and they expanded to help all deployed Reserve and National Guard families living throughout Virginia.

Calls from deploying soldiers were sometimes heartbreaking. Feeling the need to help more children cope with the challenges brought on by lengthy separations, Our Military Kids began covering families living in Maryland, the District of Columbia and, eventually, the entire United States.

In 2008, Our Military Kids expanded its program once again, this time to include children of service members and veterans from all branches of service who were severely injured in post-9/11 combat operations, and whose families were struggling to deal with financial and emotional hardships.

Today, Our Military Kids is a national organization, funded entirely by private donors, foundations and corporate sponsors. Since its inception, the group has provided more than 67,000 grants to military families across the country, allowing military kids the opportunity to participate in sports, arts and other activities while their parents are deployed or recovering from severe injuries sustained in combat. Participation in these activities helps military children cope with stress and build self-confidence while their parents are recovering or serving overseas.

4-Star Rated Nonprofit Organization

While The Gifted Tree is so impressed with the mission of Our Military Kids, we are also attracted to the group’s financial acumen and transparency. Our Military Kids has earned the highest possible 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator, the leading charity watchdog organization. Because of the group’s careful money management, a high percentage of donation dollars is going directly to fund kids’ grants, something that is important to The Gifted Tree and guided its decision to include the organization in our Trees for a Cause program.

How Our Charity Tree Donation Program Works

If you want to plant a tree in memory of, in celebration of or in honor of someone close to you and make a difference in a child’s life, consider our Trees for a Cause option. Ten percent (10%) of the purchase price of your gift tree will be donated to the organization to directly help fund its programs, which can ease stress for military kids by paying for participation in sports, fine arts, & tutoring programs while their parents are serving their country overseas or recovering from battle wounds.

Back our charity donation program by choosing the Trees for a Cause planting location and help support Our Military Kids.

November 26, 2019/by Doug Bell

How To

How To Choose Where To Plant Your Gift Tree – Part 1

No matter where you plant, realize you are making a difference

You have decided to plant a gift tree – either a memorial tree planted in memory of a loved one (human or pet), or in someone’s name to celebrate one of life’s milestones, perhaps a birthday, anniversary or birth. The Gifted Tree plants gift trees in over 20 countries around the world, the only memorial tree planting company to do so. Now you must decide where you would like to plant the tree. No matter which location you choose, or if you can’t decide and just want to have us plant the gift tree in the area of most need, realize that you are making a monumental difference for the earth and opening a new doorway to the world for future generations.

Beyond forest fires and climate change

Typically, most of us think that our gift tree should be planted to reforest areas that have been devastated by forest fire or negatively affected by climate change. While these are two good and valid reasons for deciding where to plant, there is another important benefit that can be gained by planting your memorial tree in certain locations around the globe; socio-economic gain.

Spending the day collecting firewood

This benefit can be difficult to grasp, mainly because in our first world country, we do not experience the difficulties of everyday life encountered by third world communities. A significant amount of deforestation, particularly in African and Asian nations, occur because the population needs the wood just to cook their meals. The sad part is, as time goes on and the wood sources move farther away from homes, citizens, particularly women and children, need to travel miles everyday just to collect firewood to cook that evening’s dinner. The better part of the day is spent gathering wood with little or no time left to work on jobs that would lead to economic gain.

No problem, forest resources are unlimited, Not

The alarming rate of deforestation in these areas is also due to the economic value of the forest, specifically timber products. Deforestation is so serious that individuals have cut down large trees that have been standing for decades for little or no reason at all. Many believe the forest is meant to be exploited or cut down to meet their needs. Bush burning and unsustainable logging are very widespread, and many believe forest resources are unlimited, and that what they take from the forest is too minimal to make a difference.

Beyond planting trees, educating

The gift tree planting projects The Gifted Tree is involved in Africa and Asia have multiple socio-economic benefits. Not only are we planting trees in these regions, but farmers are also being trained in best tree planting methods, nursery preparation, farm conservation and finance, and irrigation management. Most of these individuals have no prior knowledge of proper land management techniques, but this training will be a significant factor in the fight against deforestation. They also learned methods and techniques to protect trees to withstand local climatic conditions and thus help to ensure the newly planted trees’ long-term survival.

Planting trees and changing lives, forever

Your planting of a gift tree in these developing nations will include a variety of fruit and nut-bearing trees such as fig, quince, pomegranate, apple, lemon, olive, apricot, orange, pear, and walnut. This social forestry education, coupled with an increase in technology literacy, provides sustenance for the villagers, as well as allowing for job growth in the region, and the ability to earn a sustainable income by selling excess fruit and nuts in the local markets.

By choosing to plant your gift tree in an African or Asian nation, you give families the ability to transition from unsustainable farming techniques to a forest garden system. Your memorial tree not only sustains and empowers the citizens of these regions, but also changes their lives forever.

August 8, 2019/by Doug Bell

How To

How to show you care: This way really rocks.

Here at The Gifted Tree, we receive comments from many of you who have received gift trees, and one common thread throughout is that the planting of a gift tree shows that the gift giver really cares. Whether it is to honor a lost loved one or to celebrate one of life’s milestone events, the recipient mentions how it is one of the most thoughtful gifts they have ever received.

The other day, I was on my typical weekend hike in the park when I sat down on a bench to get some wood chips out of my shoe. When I bent down to take off my shoe, I happened to notice a beautifully painted rock sitting in the grass next to one of the legs of the bench. Not only did the sun reflecting off the purple color catch my attention, but the beautifully painted design, along with the words “Life is beautiful, enjoy every moment,” could not be ignored.

I picked the rock up for a closer inspection, and on the other side were painted words directing me to the website GoRock.com. Putting the rock in my water bottle holder pouch, I logged onto the website once I was back in my office. I discovered that this wasn’t some random rock that had fallen out of a kid’s backpack, but it had purposely been placed for someone to find, and that someone was me. Online, I could type in the rock identifier number on the label and discover where the rock was painted and the path it had taken before I discovered it.

It brought a smile to my face, and also the realization that the person who painted this rock had some of the same motives as our gift tree customers – wanting to show he or she cares. Just as The Gifted Tree plants gift trees in 20+ locations around the world, GoRock is a global community of rock painters spreading positive vibes all over the world, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, New Zealand and Australia.

And just as you can virtually visit the areas around the world where your gift tree has been planted, on GoRock.com, you can see how many people have found that rock, and on a virtual world map, the journey that rock has taken around the globe.

And just as planting a gift tree can help you express your feelings, show you care, and connect on a personal level with someone important to you, finding a simple painted rock can help spread love, joy, and inspiration. Both gift trees and painted rocks stand out and have a lasting impact. Now I just must decide where I will re-hide the rock so that I can bring a smile to someone else’s face and have them create their own story of discovery!

Yours treely,

Doug

July 1, 2019/by Doug Bell

How To

How Planting Gift Trees Benefits the Air We Breathe

Last week was World Environment Day, the United Nations’ day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment. This year’s theme was Air Pollution and asking the world to come together to beat it. Unarguably, air pollution is a complex matter, but also unarguably, the planting of trees is definitely a step in the right direction for improving the quality of the air that we all breathe.

The relationship between trees and air pollution is a complicated one, but with half a football field of forest destroyed every second, we need to understand the impact the loss of trees will have on the quality of our air, and how planting trees will benefit all of us.

Trying to keep this as simple as possible, heat from the earth is trapped in the atmosphere due to high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other heat-trapping gases that prohibit it from releasing the heat into space. This creates a phenomenon known today as the “greenhouse effect.” Trees help by removing CO2 from the atmosphere during photosynthesis to form carbohydrates that are used in plant structure/function and return oxygen back into the atmosphere as a byproduct. Roughly half of the greenhouse effect is caused by CO2. Therefore, trees act as carbon sinks, alleviating the greenhouse effect.

In urban areas, trees also reduce the greenhouse effect by shading houses and office buildings. This reduces the need for air conditioning by up to 30 percent which in turn reduces the amount of fossil fuels burned to produce electricity. The combination of CO2 removal from the atmosphere, carbon storage in wood and the cooling effect makes trees extremely efficient tools in fighting the greenhouse effect and thus, air pollution.

Trees also remove gaseous air pollution by uptake via leaf stomata or simply, the leaf pores. Trees absorb odors and pollutant gases (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and ozone) and intercept airborne particulates (major health hazards in air pollution) out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark. Trees along urban roadways can reduce the presence of fine particulate matter in the atmosphere within a few hundred yards of the roadside verge. All of this scientific jargon basically means that trees reduce the concentration of bad stuff in the air that we breathe

Planting trees remains one of the most cost-effective means of drawing excess CO2 from the atmosphere. If every American family planted one tree, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere would be reduced by one billion pounds annually. This equates to almost 5 percent of the amount that human activity pumps into the atmosphere each year.

Taken together, there is no doubt that trees provide a net positive benefit to the environment, which is why it is almost uniformly true that neighborhoods with lots of trees command greater housing values than those without. You can help by planting memorial gift trees and gift trees celebrating milestone events for people or pets. The Gifted Tree makes it easy to do, and with our innovative and amazing presentation certificates, it will show you care, as well as make a difference. Plant your gift tree to help forests devastated by fire or climate change, and improve the quality of the air we breathe!

June 12, 2019/by Doug Bell