A maple planted in 1996 is taller than the house I grew up in. The house has had three coats of paint. The maple has never asked for anything.

Tree time

Trees run on a different clock. A forest doesn't hurry, and it doesn't stop. Plant one now and it'll be shading people you'll never meet — their grandkids might climb it.

Why we track, not just plant

A tree is a promise that only matters if someone keeps it. That's why we follow every single one: so that fifty years from now, the count still means something.