When it comes to protecting the environment, the most powerful change often starts close to home, right in the local green spaces where we walk, run, cycle, and gather as a community. This year, REACH GREEN and the Arbor Day Foundation are uniting to prove just how impactful local action can be, announcing a new partnership focused on restoring one of America’s most endangered ecosystems: the longleaf pine forests of North Carolina’s Sandhills region.
This collaboration marks a meaningful new chapter for REACH GREEN, representing our first official beneficiary and laying the groundwork for future initiatives that connect passionate endurance athletes and outdoor enthusiasts to measurable, lasting environmental results.
Why This Partnership Matters For Reforestation & Environmental Stewardship
REACH GREEN is a grassroots nonprofit with a clear mission: mobilize endurance athletes, outdoor enthusiasts, and active communities to take climate action by protecting and preserving green spaces. The organization recognizes that for runners, hikers, cyclists, and anyone who thrives in the outdoors, environmental health is the foundation of their daily lives and must remain a top priority.
The Arbor Day Foundation brings more than five decades of global leadership in reforestation and ecosystem restoration. With over 500 million trees planted in partnership with communities and organizations around the world, their science-driven approach ensures that every project delivers lasting ecological and community benefits.
Bringing these two forces together means pairing passion with expertise, and local connection with global perspective. At its core, this partnership is a chance to engage a new audience that values the outdoors and shares the belief that climate action becomes most powerful when it’s tangible, visible, and directly connected to the green spaces we love.
Reforestation of the Longleaf Pine Forests
The first initiative under this partnership focuses on an ecosystem that once dominated the southeastern United States but now exists at a fraction of its former size. The longleaf pine forest once spanned over 90 million acres; today, only about 5% remains.
In North Carolina’s Sandhills region, this loss has had far-reaching effects including altering habitats, threatening biodiversity, and disrupting watershed stability. The area is home to hundreds of plant and animal species, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth.
Through this project, REACH GREEN’s fundraising campaigns, membership program, and community events (look out for more information coming on this soon!) will help fund the reforestation and planting of native longleaf pines, restoring not just trees but an entire ecosystem. This level of restoration is critical for:
Supporting biodiversity: Providing essential habitat for wildlife, including rare and endangered species.
Stabilizing soil: Reducing erosion and improving land health.
Protecting watersheds: Safeguarding water quality for both people and nature.
Building climate resilience: Creating forests that can withstand changing climate conditions.
For REACH GREEN’s Executive Director, Bouker Pool, the connection between trees and community well-being is undeniable.
“Trees are powerful because they make climate action feel real,” Pool says, “They clean the air, cool our neighborhoods, and restore the spaces our community depends on. That’s why this partnership is such a natural fit; it reflects our belief that the most effective action is rooted in something people already understand, value, and want to protect.”
From the Arbor Day Foundation’s perspective, this collaboration offers an opportunity to reach a new audience of people who are already deeply connected to the outdoors through their favorite sport.
How REACH GREEN Mobilizes Climate Resilience Initiatives
What makes our organization unique is the approach of turning personal movement into environmental action. By inviting active communities and teams to connect their activities to fundraising and advocacy, our people build a movement where every mile and every outdoor adventure can contribute to a healthier planet. The best part? There are a number of ways supporters like you can get involved!
Memberships: A simple way to make an ongoing impact while staying connected to the cause.
Events: Athletic and community gatherings that raise funds and awareness.
Donations: Direct contributions that translate into real-world reforestation efforts.
Every contribution from a single endurance athlete or an entire club feeds directly into projects like the Sandhills restoration, ensuring participants can see and feel the results of their efforts.
A First Step Toward a Larger Vision
While the Sandhills project is the first collaboration between REACH GREEN and the Arbor Day Foundation, it’s far from the last. We envision building a portfolio of impactful projects, each linking community passion to tangible environmental outcomes.
Future partnerships will continue to focus on areas where green spaces are threatened and where climate resilience is urgently needed. By maintaining a clear line between fundraising, action, and visible results, our team aims to keep outdoor enthusiasts inspired and engaged for the long term.
Let’s #Grow Together
At its heart, this partnership is about resilience, community, and the belief that everyday actions can lead to change that ripples throughout lifetimes.
By restoring the longleaf pine forests of North Carolina’s Sandhills, these important changes not only revive a threatened ecosystem but also build a model for how people and organizations can work together to protect the green spaces they hold dear.
Stay tuned for more information on REACH GREEN and The Arbor Day’s first virtual challenge, 10,000 Miles 10,000 Trees, launching October 1!
For more information on our upcoming events (including 10,000 Miles 10,000 Trees) in partnership with The Arbor Day Foundation, sign up for our newsletter and be sure to follow our Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn pages.
