Our Million Tree Planting Program
Happy Holidays - Now and for Future Generations!
Each Wreath Season we use hundreds of tons of fresh evergreen boughs, sustainable harvested, which we use to hand-craft the hundreds of thousands of wreaths, door sprays, garlands and centerpieces we produce.In an effort to enrich our forests with more trees, in 2007 we initiated our Million Tree Planting Program. To date, we have funded the planting of more than 800,000 evergreen tree seedlings in the State and Federal forests and parks of 49 States. For each Direct Delivery item we sell via our GiftItForward.com fundraising website and our Corporate Gift Program, we fund the planting of these trees in honor of the gift recipient. As these trees mature, all of us can take comfort in knowing that we are helping to reduce our carbon footprint. This, and the knowledge that the creatures that live in these forests will have homes for the future!
The Balsam Bough Partnership
In 1987, John and Chris Mickman were founding members of the Minnesota Balsam Bough Partnership. This organization developed a method of sustainably harvested Balsam Boughs and worked with the Minnesota Legislature to license Bough Buyers so as to enforce sustainable harvesting.
In 1996, the Balsam Bough Partnership was honored to be recognized by the US Department of Agriculture for the remarkable achievements of this organization.
Again in 2001, John Mickman was honored to be recognized for his conservation efforts by the Minnesota Department of Forestry with their ‘Award of Excellence’. This recognition by all the foresters with whom John worked was especially meaningful.
To date the Minnesota Balsam Bough Industry is alive and thriving due to the sustainable harvesting techniques developed and maintained over the past 35+ years. The Minnesota Christmas Wreath Industry has sold tens of millions of wreaths over all these years. Each year millions of customers welcome home families and friends for the Holidays with a fresh Balsam Fir Christmas Wreath made by one of the Minnesota Wreath Companies that produce these wreaths. What an honor!
Honorees
The lists of gift recipients in honor of those that have had a tree planted in their name began back in 2008. Click on a year below to see those that have contributed to this effort:
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