The Arbor Day Foundation and Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation have partnered to provide urban forestry plantings in 20 project locations across the globe throughout the coming year. The Urban Tree Initiative program will focus tree planting and distribution efforts in cities and towns across Enterprise’s operating markets.
 

Beginning in 2006, Enterprise created the 50 Million Tree Pledge program with the goal of planting 50 million trees in forests of greatest need over the next 50 years with the Foundation. Since 2018, Enterprise has expanded that effort through the Urban Tree Initiative by focusing additional efforts within its operating markets on communities that may have been impacted by natural disasters or areas that lacked sufficient access to greenspace.
 

"Enterprise has played a vital role in many of our completed and ongoing reforestation projects, and we are so excited to bring that environmental enthusiasm into urban spaces," Arbor Day Foundation Chief Executive Dan Lambe said. "A thriving community canopy has the ability to not only transform the ecological health of an urban landscape, but also provide critical benefits that can lead to favorable health outcomes for its residents.
 

For the past 50 years, the Arbor Day Foundation has worked to plant nearly 500 million trees around the world. Through a global network of partnerships, the Foundation facilitates projects that empower organizations of all sizes to reach their environmental and sustainability goals via measurable, impactful work through trees and forests. The Foundation recently announced an initiative to plant 500 million trees over the next five years where trees are needed most.
 

"Our Enterprise neighborhood network is the foundation of our success, and the Urban Tree Initiative complements the critical role our business plays in supporting communities," Enterprise Holdings Foundation President Carolyn Kindle said. "We are excited to continue to bring environmental benefits to communities that need it most. Whether it’s planting trees in areas recovering from natural disasters, like the recent hurricanes, or protection for communities most vulnerable to a changing climate, our 50 Million Tree Pledge coupled with the Urban Tree Initiative help benefit the environment and bring community members together.
 

In addition to improving the immediate environment, studies have shown that planting trees and greenery in urban communities can help improve the mental and physical health of area-residents. Furthermore, trees also provide neighborhoods with a variety of protective benefits that help address commonly experienced environmental issues. These benefits include soil stabilization and runoff capture in flood-prone areas, cooling effects to mitigate urban heat islands, air filtration for nearby industrial parks and roadways and improved water quality within heavily utilized watersheds.
 

Since their inception, the Enterprise 50 Million Tree Pledge and Urban Tree Initiative have led to the planting of more than 17 million trees around the world, providing a legacy for future generations.
 

The projects through the Urban Tree Initiative will be directed and maintained by local nonprofit organizations, with planting and distribution efforts to be carried out by volunteers from Enterprise and the surrounding community on the day of the events. During the Fall 2022 planting season, projects will be held in the following United States and Canadian cities: Glendale, Ariz.; Groveland, Calif.; Riviera Beach, Fla.; St. Louis, Mo.; Bronx, N.Y.; Mississauga, Ontario; and Philadelphia, Pa. Additional Spring and Fall 2023 locations will be announced next year.