Pledging to plant 1 million trees in Tanzania in the next two years and a special Earth Day bangle set for ARC

The African Rainforest Conservancy is very pleased to announce its new partnership with Earth Day Network! With our field partner, the Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG), we are pledging to plant 1 million trees in Tanzania’s Eastern Arc rainforests during the next two years, as our contribution to Earth Day Network’s worldwide A Billion Acts of Green campaign. We are excited to pursue this challenge as a part of the global call to mitigate climate change.

The Earth Day Network’s A Billion Acts of Green is a global call to revive the spirit of environmentalism that started in 1970 on the first national Earth Day. Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin began the movement after witnessing the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara. With the goal of mobilizing a similar revolutionary force as the student anti-war movement, a “national teach-in on the environment” was organized. Nelson caught the attention of 20 million Americans concerned with the growing over-industrious society, with each one acting on their own environmental pledge. The movement inspired people from all walks of life, races, and political parties, making the event “a great success,” in the eyes of Nelson and the nation.

Today, A Billion Acts of Green hopes to continue this tradition of pledge making, focusing on the notion that every small step is important and that in great numbers change can be accomplished. ARC would like to leave its mark as a part of this important cause. In the forested areas of Tanzania where ARC works, an area nearly 300 times the size of New York City’s Central Park, ARC has already planted 10 million trees during the past twenty years (1.3 million in 2009 and 2010 alone!). We are excited to take on this new challenge as part of our commitment to the vital role that forests play in the Millennium Development Goals and in the greater picture of global climate change. You can check out ARC’s pledge here and show your committment to a healthier more sustainabile planet by making your own pledge here.

As part of our ongoing partnership with the eco-friendly jewelry company Alex and Ani, check out this special Tree of Life bangle set just in time for Earth Day! Not only will you be making a fashion statement, but you will also be helping to conserve the Eastern Arc rainforests with your purchase (20 percent of sale proceeds go to ARC). You can also purchase ARC’s signature Tree of Life bangle individually here.