In order to propel our sustainability goals of reducing overall emissions, protecting forests, and creating healthy communities we have committed to planting trees. Through the Arbor Day Foundation, we do a quarterly tree donation where their reforestation efforts focus on planting trees in regions where trees can do the most good.  According to the World Resources Institute, deforestation is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and protecting and restoring forests could play an integral role in the solution to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Radically increasing greenhouse gas emissions are accelerating the effects of climate change. Human activity such as burning fossil fuels and cutting down forests, which naturally pull carbon dioxide out of the air, increase greenhouse gas levels. We understand the urgent need to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases levels in our atmosphere and that we, as individuals and a community, play a significant role in tackling our climate challenges. Our climate action goals include efforts to reduce carbon emissions by burning less coal and gas and using more clean energy as well implement conservation policies to protect our forests, wild places, and communities.

Why Trees?

Forests pull carbon dioxide from the air

We know that we won’t be able to stop producing emissions completely, but we can adopt best practices to reduce how much we emit and take action on removing the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. By planting trees and conserving forests, we are able to maintain and create more carbon sinks that pull carbon dioxide out of the air.

Protect and Maintain

Urban development has an impact on climate change and as an industry that relies on development, it’s critical that we equally prioritize conserving wild places, restoring existing spaces, and making environmentally responsible design decisions. As we design dwelling and congregating spaces for humans, it’s important that we are protecting the habitats of species that reside in the wild. By investing in planting forests, we can help protect and maintain animal habitats and promote biodiverse ecosystems.

Community Health Benefits

It is our goal to create sustainable, vibrant, and healthy communities. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the presence of trees can improve mental and physical well-being as well as cool communities providing inhabitants with a more livable and enjoyable climate. The prevalence of trees in our urban areas can offer multiple benefits to our cities; they can provide heat relief as shade from trees can lower street-level temperatures, they capture dirt, dust, and airborne particles that clean our air, and allow us to breathe easier by pulling in carbon and pumping out oxygen.

We are proud to invest in the development and protection of forests, as forests play an important role in our home state of Colorado. Covering nearly 24 million acres our Colorado forests provide us with clean air and water, wildlife habitat, forest products for local economies, and recreation opportunities, so with honor we aim to be forest stewards both globally and locally.