Irvine Nature Center

Irvine Nature Center, the non-profit environmental education organization whose mission is to inspire appreciation and respect for the natural world, has kicked off "Plant a tree.  Leave a legacy.," a conservation project in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22.  In honor of this historic anniversary, Irvine Board members, staff and friends will plant 7,000 trees in 40 days in honor of their friends and loved ones.  The trees will reforest or "restock" existing woodlands on our 116-acre, permanently protected campus.  These coordinated days of acts of service to the environment will rebuild natural habitats for wildlife, and head off global warming by "sequestering" carbon dioxide.  In total, the effort to plant 7,000 trees will sequester nearly 155 tons of carbon emissions per acre.  The initiative is being launched in support of Maryland's Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to help reduce sediment and nutrients in the Chesapeake Bay and will improve wildlife habitat. Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski, who co-sponsored the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act to curb global warming including greenhouse gases, encourages Marylanders to participate in "Plant a tree.  Leave a legacy." because this is the kind of community action effort Marylanders need to get involved in to make the state's air cleaner to breathe.   "Great things happen when people work together to preserve the environment," said Senator Mikulski. "Plant a Tree. Leave a Legacy. is a fantastic way to honor the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and reforest Irvine Nature Center's expansive campus. I applaud this effort and look forward to its success." "This Earth Day, we encourage individuals, corporations and members of the Nature Center to give a gift that will stand in our woodlands in perpetuity as a reminder that as they cherish their friends and loved ones, they also cherish the health of the environment," said Irvine Nature Center Executive Director, Peggy F. O'Neill.  "Planting 7,000 trees in 40 days is an historic undertaking for us, one we do with great import and pride knowing that through it we will not only reduce measurable greenhouse gases but also collaborate locally with the global movement to ease climate change and protect trees, which are often habitats for creatures of the natural world."   Supporters of "Plant a tree. Leave a legacy." are encouraged to give a gift of a young native tree to celebrate friends and loved ones for a donation of $25 per tree.  Supporters may also plant a camp of 15 trees for $300, a grove of 50 trees for $1,000, a woodland of 200 trees for $5,000, or a forest of 400 trees for $10,000.  In exchange, the person honored will receive an acknowledgement card in the mail.  The purchaser of trees will receive an attractive certificate of participation for the trees purchased. Several local schools and global corporations headquartered locally will get involved by volunteering to plant the purchased trees, including Legg Mason, PHH Corporation, PricewaterhouseCoopers and T. Rowe Price. Employees of global financial services firm, T. Rowe Price will volunteer for two days, and are excited to be participating in this effort.  "As a firm, we are committed to following the best environmental practices globally," said Renee Christoff, T. Rowe Price's head of Corporate Citizenship and Sponsorship, "so we are happy to be a part of Irvine Nature Center's 'Plant a tree.  Leave a legacy' program.  We are also pleased so many of our associates have volunteered to participate in this effort." "Plant a tree.  Leave a legacy." campaign is a part of a group of coordinated activities being offered by Irvine Nature Center in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day.  The Center is also offering Earth Day: Kids Unplugged on Sunday April 18 from 11:00 a.m.to 4:00 p.m., a daylong schedule of events to encourage youngsters to unplug from their iPods and video games to get outside and explore nature.  For more information on Earth Day: Kids Unplugged, call 443-738-9200, or go to www.ExploreNature.org. # # # Founded in 1975, Irvine Nature Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to environmental education.  The Center is located at 11201 Garrison Forest Road in Owings Mills, MD 21117.  Call 410-738-9200 or visit www.ExploreNature.org for more information.