Trees
Restoration today

Growing the forests of the future

From the Sahel to city sidewalks, people are planting, protecting and regrowing trees on a very large scale. This page covers who is doing what, and how you can join in.

Big global efforts

Around the world, governments, communities, charities and companies are working together to grow and protect forests. Here are some of the biggest initiatives.

Trillion Trees & 1t.org

Global, since 2016 (1t.org since 2020)

The Trillion Trees partnership (BirdLife, WCS and WWF) works to protect and restore forests worldwide.[2] In 2020 the World Economic Forum launched 1t.org to help conserve, restore and grow one trillion trees by 2030; by 2022, 71 companies had pledged to conserve, restore and grow more than 6.85 billion trees. The platform is now called the Forest Future Alliance.[1]

The Bonn Challenge

Global, since 2011

Launched by Germany and IUCN, it set out to restore 150 million hectares of degraded land by 2020 and 350 million by 2030. Countries have pledged about 257 million hectares, an area larger than Algeria.[3]

AFR100

Africa, since 2015

The African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative aims to restore 100 million hectares by 2030. With 34 countries on board, pledges already total about 129 million hectares, more than the goal.[4]

The Great Green Wall

Sahel, Africa, since 2007

An African Union–led effort to grow an 8,000 km mosaic of trees, farms and grassland across the Sahel, aiming to restore 100 million hectares, store 250 million tonnes of carbon and create 10 million green jobs by 2030.[5] Progress is slower than hoped, but projects are greening farms and villages and supporting local livelihoods.[6]

Arbor Day Foundation

U.S. & worldwide, since 1972

The world’s largest tree-planting membership nonprofit passed 500 million trees planted in 2023 and committed to planting 500 million more within five years, focusing on forests and neighborhoods with little shade.[8][9]

Trees for Cities

UK & beyond, since 1993

This charity plants trees where people live: streets, schools and parks. In March 2026 it celebrated its two-millionth urban tree.[7]

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

Global, since the early 1990s

FSC certifies forests that are managed responsibly, with protections for wildlife, workers and Indigenous rights. About 171 million hectares of forest were FSC-certified at the end of 2025, after forest management certification grew by more than 6% (over 12 million hectares) in a year.[10][11]

UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

Global, 2021–2030

A UN-led rallying call to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems, forests included, on every continent.[15]

Regrowing America’s forests

Wildfires, insects and storms have left about 4 million acres of U.S. national forest needing replanting. The REPLANT Act of 2021 removed a long-standing $30 million yearly cap on the Forest Service’s reforestation fund, aiming to plant about 1.2 billion trees over ten years.[12] From fiscal year 2023 through 2025, the Forest Service reported 699,748 acres of reforestation work.[13][14]

Across the country, cities are planting too. New York City planted 18,261 trees in fiscal 2026, its most in a decade. See more stories in Good News for Trees.

Plant and protect. Scientists stress that protecting existing forests and helping them regrow naturally are just as important as planting new trees, because mature forests hold the most carbon and wildlife.[16]

How you can help

Plant the right tree

Choose a native species suited to the spot, and plant it in fall or early spring. A local nursery or extension office can help, and our identifier introduces 37 common species.

Water young trees

New trees need about 10 gallons a week during dry spells in their first couple of years. Mulch in a wide ring (not piled against the trunk).

Don’t move firewood

Buy firewood where you burn it. Moving wood spreads pests like the emerald ash borer, which has killed millions of ash trees.[17]

Look for the FSC label

When buying paper, lumber or furniture, look for FSC-certified products from responsibly managed forests.[10]

Be a citizen scientist

Photograph trees and leaves with iNaturalist to help scientists track species, pests and seasonal changes.[18]

Let forests regrow

Support protecting land and letting it regrow naturally. In the tropics this can cost far less than planting.[16]

Join a local planting

Many cities and groups (Arbor Day Foundation, Trees for Cities, local parks departments) host volunteer planting days.

Speak up for trees

Support tree-friendly budgets, parks and protected areas in your town and country.

Sources

  1. World Economic Forum (Aug 28, 2022): 2 years of growth in the trillion trees movement. 1t.org has since been renamed the Forest Future Alliance. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2022/08/two-years-of-trillion-trees/
  2. Trillion Trees: joint venture of BirdLife International, WCS and WWF. https://www.trilliontrees.org/
  3. The Bonn Challenge: About. https://www.bonnchallenge.org/about
  4. AFR100: About the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative. https://afr100.org/about
  5. UNCCD: The Great Green Wall Initiative. https://www.unccd.int/our-work/ggwi
  6. UNCCD (2020): The Great Green Wall: Implementation status and way ahead to 2030. https://www.unccd.int/publications/great-green-wall-implementation-status-and-way-ahead-2030
  7. Trees for Cities: Celebrating 2 million urban trees (2026). https://www.treesforcities.org/resources/celebrating-2-million-urban-trees
  8. Arbor Day Foundation: 500 million trees planted milestone. https://www.arborday.org/news/500-million-trees-planted-arbor-day-foundation-crosses-milestone-mark
  9. Arbor Day Foundation: commitment to plant 500 million more trees in five years. https://www.arborday.org/news/arbor-day-foundation-commits-plant-500-million-trees-5-years-focus-neighborhoods-forests
  10. FSC: Our history. https://fsc.org/en/our-history
  11. FSC: Reflections on 2025 and looking to the year ahead. https://fsc.org/en/newscentre/general-news/reflections-on-2025-and-looking-to-the-year-ahead
  12. American Forests: The REPLANT Act. https://www.americanforests.org/our-programs/policy/replant-act/
  13. USDA Forest Service: FY2025 REPLANT Act report. https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/fy25-replant-report.pdf
  14. USDA Forest Service: Reforestation. https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/forest-management/vegetation-management/reforestation
  15. UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030. https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/
  16. University of Queensland (2026): Natural restoration is key to reviving threatened tropical rainforests. https://news.uq.edu.au/2026-08-natural-restoration-key-reviving-threatened-tropical-rainforests
  17. Emerald Ash Borer Information Network. https://www.emeraldashborer.info/
  18. iNaturalist. https://www.inaturalist.org/