Verified Memorial Trees in 2026: Expanding Our Impact Across North America

At A Living Tribute, we believe a memorial tree should be more than a symbolic gesture — it should be planted to create measurable impact, and you should be able to see that impact after the trees are in the ground. That’s why late last year we created our Evertrack Verified Memorial Trees program, working with trusted planting technology partners such as veritree to bring greater transparency, accountability, and tracking to memorial tree giving.

As we move into 2026, we’re proud to announce new and expanded Evertrack tree planting locations across the United States and Canada — giving families even more meaningful ways to honor loved ones while restoring forests in genuine need.

🌍 2025-2026 Evertrack Tree Planting Locations

California — Rim Fire Burn Area (Yosemite Region)

The Rim Fire severely impacted forests near Yosemite National Park. Through verified replanting efforts, native seedlings are helping restore damaged ecosystems, protect watersheds, and rebuild wildlife habitat in one of America’s most iconic landscapes.

Oregon — Fremont-Winema National Forest

Southern Oregon’s forests continue to recover from devastating wildfire impacts. Verified tree planting projects near Summer Lake focus on rebuilding resilient forest ecosystems, improving biodiversity, and restoring long-term forest health.

Michigan — Kirtland's Warbler Habitat Restoration

In Michigan's Roscommon State Forest Area, verified tree planting efforts are restoring harvested and degraded forest lands. These projects help ensure sustainable forest management, protect wildlife habitat, and support long-term ecological balance.

Florida — Florida State Forests, Longleaf Pine Restoration

Verified tree planting across Florida’s state forests supports the restoration of native ecosystems such as longleaf pine habitats, improves biodiversity, and strengthens environmental resilience in vulnerable landscapes.

🌿 New Verified Restoration Projects Across the Southeastern U.S.

In 2026, our memorial tree program will expand further across the US with four brand new Evertrack locations:

• Georgia

• Alabama

• Mississippi

• South Carolina

These projects focus on restoring forests impacted by severe storms, longleaf pine habitat loss, and land degradation. Through verified partnerships, these plantings support healthier ecosystems, improved soil stability, and long-term environmental recovery for the Southeast US.

More details on these new projects will be announced in our blog in the weeks and months to come.

🍁 Verified Reforestation Projects Across Canada

We’re also continuing our Verified Memorial Trees program across multiple provinces in Canada, including:

• Alberta

• British Columbia

• Ontario

• Manitoba

These projects support critical forest ecosystems that play an essential role in biodiversity, watershed protection, and global carbon storage. Verified tree planting efforts in these regions focus on restoring lands impacted by wildfire, environmental stress, and historical land use.

🌱 Supporting the Full Reforestation Process

Your memorial tree gifts, through our 2026 programs such as Evertrack and Forest Friends, supports more than just tree planting. It contributes to the full cycle of successful forest restoration, including:

• Seed collection and nursery cultivation

• Site preparation and ecological planning

• Professional planting operations

• Post-planting assessments and photography/video/mapping

• Ongoing forest stewardship and monitoring

This holistic approach ensures trees are planted responsibly — and with the highest chance of long-term survival.

💚 A Verified Legacy That Lives On

A memorial tree planted through A Living Tribute becomes a living, growing tribute — rooted in real soil, supported by real partnerships, and contributing to real restoration.

Whether planted in wildfire-impacted forests of California and Oregon, across Southeastern landscapes, or throughout the vast woodlands of Canada, your tribute becomes part of a larger, verified effort to restore forests that truly need healing.

🌲 Plant a verified living legacy

Honor a loved one. Support real reforestation. Create lasting impact.

Restoring Minnesota’s Wind Storm-Damaged Forests

Northern Minnesota’s forests have faced powerful and destructive windstorms over the past two decades.

Events known as “blowdowns”—intense straight-line windstorms similar to inland hurricanes—have flattened large areas of both the Chippewa National Forest and the Superior National Forest, leaving behind miles of toppled trees, damaged habitat, and disrupted ecosystems. One of the most severe storms in the region’s history struck the Boundary Waters area of the Superior, changing the landscape almost overnight. Other major storms, including in 2012, caused additional widespread damage across northern Minnesota forests.

These storms didn’t just knock trees down. They reshaped entire landscapes.

Why Reforestation Is So Important After Blowdown Events

When large areas of forest are lost all at once, recovery can take decades without help. That’s why reforestation efforts in these forests focus on:

• Replanting native tree species

• Restoring wildlife habitat

• Protecting water and soil health

• Reducing future wildfire risk

• Helping damaged landscapes recover naturally and sustainably

Tree by tree, these forests are being given a second chance.

Visit the Reforestation Areas

• 39.34691, -120.086677
  (Truckee sugar pine restoration)

An acre of sugar pine seedlings resistant to white pine blister rust have been planted in Truckee (a town nestled in the Tahoe National Forest) to restore this majestic native species and overall forest health.

• 39.057554, -120.120969
  (Sugar Pine Point State Park)

An acre of sugar pine seedlings resistant to white pine blister rust have been planted in Sugar Pine Point State Park to restore this majestic native species and overall forest health.

• 38.802273, -120.080917
  (Caldor Fire restoration area)

An acre of native tree seedlings have been planted in the Caldor Fire burn scar on the Eldorado National Forest to restore all majestic native species and seed in the future forest.

• 38.683460, -119.802380
  (Tamarack Fire restoration area)

An acre of native tree seedlings have been planted in the Tamarack Fire to restore all majestic native species and seed in the future forest.

• 39.231863, -120.11761
  (Kings Beach – western white pine restoration)

An acre of western white pine seedlings resistant to white pine blister rust have been planted in Kings Beach to restore this majestic native species and overall forest health.

• 39.311528, -120.406194
  (Donner Summit – western white pine restoration)

View a map of all reforestation areas on Google Maps:

The Bootleg Fire: Replanting Oregon’s Fremont–Winema National Forest

The Bootleg Fire of 2021 was one of the largest wildfires in Oregon’s history, burning nearly 400,000 acres across the Fremont–Winema National Forest. Ignited by lightning during a period of extreme drought, the fire spread through dense conifer stands, dry brush, and drought-stressed forests—creating a megafire that transformed the landscape on a massive scale.

Even after the flames were extinguished, one truth remained: this forest will need years of care, new seedlings, and committed reforestation partners to fully recover.

Where the Bootleg Fire Burned

The fire ignited near Fuego Mountain on the Chiloquin Ranger District and rapidly spread across mixed conifer forests, lodgepole pine stands, and high-country meadows. Rural communities such as Beatty, Sycan Estates, Sprague River, and Chiloquin faced evacuations as shifting winds pushed flames toward homes and ranchlands.

The burn area also overlaps with the ancestral territory of the Klamath Tribes, affecting important ecological and cultural landscapes—especially the riparian corridors that support native fish species.

Why the Fire Became a Megafire

Several conditions combined to make the Bootleg Fire one of the most significant wildfires ever recorded in Oregon:

• Severe drought and record heat dried fuels to critical levels

• Strong winds and low humidity caused rapid fire spread

• Dense, overstocked forests allowed flames to climb into the canopy

• The fire generated pyrocumulus clouds and even its own lightning

More than 2,000 personnel worked to contain it, and full containment took over a month.

What the Fire Revealed

The aftermath of the Bootleg Fire highlighted two striking contrasts across the Fremont–Winema landscape:

Treated Forests Survived Better

In areas where the Forest Service and partners had completed thinning projects or prescribed burns, the fire burned at lower severity. These pockets—often called green islands—retained mature trees and provided safer zones for firefighters, underscoring how critical adequate Forest Service funding is for keeping our forests healthy and resilient.

Untreated Forests Burned Hotter

Where fuels were heavy or drought stress was extreme, the fire created large patches of high-severity burn, killing most standing trees and leaving little natural seed source for regeneration.

The Bootleg Fire has since become a case study in how active forest management can improve resilience in a warming, drying climate.

Recovery and Reforestation on the Fremont

Restoration work began immediately after the fire:

Natural Regeneration

Areas that experienced moderate burn are already showing signs of recovery, with seedlings, shrubs, and grasses returning as surviving trees drop new seed.

Active Reforestation

High-severity zones require intentional replanting with climate-tolerant, native species such as ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and lodgepole pine. Restoration partners are:

• Collecting local seed

• Growing millions of tree seedlings

• Replanting priority zones with limited natural regeneration

• Restoring riparian areas impacted by erosion and sediment

Long-Term Vision

Full recovery will take years, but these efforts will help stabilize soils, restore wildlife habitat, and rebuild the forest structure needed for future resilience.

Our Trees Planted on the Bootleg Fire Burn Scar

A Living Tribute is honored to support the restoration of Oregon's Klamath Falls Basin region following the Bootleg Fire.

In partnership with reforestation teams on the ground, we are planting native tree seedlings directly within the burn scar to help regenerate high-severity areas with limited natural recovery.

Our planting areas are located just west of Summer Lake and east of Yamsay Mountain, a landscape shaped by centuries of ecological change. You can explore these restoration sites in detail using the virtual map below:

Replanting New Mexico: Wildfire Tree Recovery

How reforestation gives burned landscapes a second chance to thrive

New Mexico’s forests do more than just grow trees. They protect watersheds, provide wildlife habitat, and support the mountain communities that call these landscapes home. When wildfires strike — as they inevitably will — reforestation becomes a vital act of renewal.

Across the state, land managers and restoration crews are working to help these forests recover through a combination of native tree planting, erosion control, soil stabilization, invasive species removal, and long-term forest monitoring. It’s not just about putting seedlings in the ground — it’s about helping wildfire-affected landscapes adapt, regrow, and return stronger for the next generation.

Below are several major wildfires on that have left long-lasting impacts on New Mexico's tree canopy — and the ongoing recovery efforts that are helping these forests heal.

Scott Able Fire 

In May 2000, a downed power line in Scott Able Canyon sparked a fast-moving fire in the Sacramento Mountains. About 16,000 acres burned, and dozens of homes were lost.

Today, reforestation in this area focuses on restoring ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer habitat, stabilizing mountain slopes, and building a more fire-resilient forest where neighborhoods and woodlands meet.

Visit the restoration area on Google Maps:

Restoring Wisconsin’s National Forests: White Pine, Red Oak, Hemlock & Tamarack Take Root

Wisconsin’s forest landscapes have gone through major changes over the last century. Historic logging, wildfires, invasive pests, and land-use changes left many areas in need of renewal. Today, reforestation efforts across Wisconsin’s National Forests — including the Chequamegon-Nicolet — are helping restore iconic tree species that once defined this region: eastern white pine, red oak, eastern hemlock, and tamarack.

By planting new trees in areas where forests were lost or damaged, foresters are rebuilding thriving ecosystems that will benefit people and wildlife for generations.

🌲 Bringing Back Eastern White Pine

White pine was once the dominant tree across northern Wisconsin — especially prized by early loggers for its tall, straight trunks. But massive timber harvests in the late 1800s and early 1900s drastically reduced white pine populations.

Reforestation projects are now working to re-establish white pine where it historically flourished. This fast-growing native species:

• Provides excellent cover and winter shelter for wildlife

• Stores large amounts of carbon as it matures

• Helps rebuild multi-layered forest structure and long-term diversity

White pine seedlings planted today will grow into the towering giants Wisconsin’s forests were once known for.

🌲 Strengthening Forest Resilience with Eastern Hemlock

Eastern hemlock adds cool, shaded habitat and stabilizes streambanks — making it essential for healthy waterways and cold-water fisheries. But Wisconsin has seen steep declines in hemlock due to over-harvesting and the spread of hemlock woolly adelgid in other states.

Planting hemlock in suitable habitat supports:

• Better water quality and more stable trout streams

• Increased biodiversity in northern hardwood forests

• Future seed sources that help rebuild the species’ range

Restoring hemlock helps preserve a uniquely northern forest environment rich in wildlife.

🌲 Restoring Wetlands with Tamarack

Tamarack (also known as American larch) is one of the few deciduous conifers — it turns golden in autumn and drops its needles in winter. Once widespread in northern bogs and wetlands, tamarack is now being replanted to offset losses from pests like the larch sawfly and changes in hydrology.

Why tamarack matters:

• Supports marsh birds, beavers, and rare bog species

• Stabilizes wetland soils and improves water storage

• Adds resilience to habitats vulnerable to climate shifts

Replanting tamarack ensures Wisconsin’s wetlands continue to support rich ecosystems.

🌱 Why Reforestation Matters

Tree planting in National Forests helps ensure that:

✔ Forests damaged by harvest, storms, or pests recover quickly
✔ Wildlife habitat and food sources are restored
✔ More carbon is captured and stored in living forests
✔ Future generations can enjoy healthy woodlands and clean air

Each new seedling nurtures long-term forest health while preserving Wisconsin’s natural heritage.

A Living Forest Legacy

The work being done today in Wisconsin’s National Forests ensures that iconic northern tree species — white pine, hemlock, and tamarack — continue to define the landscape for decades to come.

As these young seedlings grow into mature forests, they will protect wildlife, strengthen local ecosystems, and keep Wisconsin wild, green, and thriving.

Explore Wisconsin’s Living Reforestation Map

If you’d like to see where tree planting is actually happening on the ground, you can explore our interactive map of past and present reforestation locations across Wisconsin’s forests:

Restoring Florida's State Parks: Longleaf Pine Reforestation 

Over the past century, Florida has seen a dramatic decline in one of its most iconic and ecologically important trees: the longleaf pine (Pinus palustris). Once spanning over 90 million acres across the Southeastern United States, longleaf pine ecosystems have dwindled to less than 5% of their original range—largely due to logging, land development, and fire suppression. But thanks to dedicated reforestation efforts, including restorative programs like "Plant-a-Pine" by Florida State Parks, the longleaf pine is making a slow but determined comeback.

Why Longleaf Pine Matters

Longleaf pine forests are some of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in North America. They provide critical habitat for a range of wildlife species, including:

• The endangered red-cockaded woodpecker

• Gopher tortoises, a keystone species that support over 300 other species through their burrows

• Unique groundcover plants and wildflowers

Longleaf pines are also fire-adapted, meaning they rely on regular, low-intensity fires to thrive—fires that help reduce underbrush, recycle nutrients, and prevent more catastrophic wildfires.

Plant-a-Pine Program

Restoring Michigan’s Pine Forests – One Seedling at a Time

Across Michigan, forests are quietly being rebuilt through terrestrial reforestation projects that focus on planting native tree species like red pine and jack pine. These hardy conifers are well-suited to Michigan’s sandy soils and northern climate, and they play an important role in restoring healthy forest ecosystems after logging, pests, or severe weather.

Michigan's Department of Natural Resources plants thousands of acres of new trees every year—mainly red pines—on land where older pine forests were harvested. By replanting right away, they help new forests grow quickly, keeping state lands green and healthy.

These growing forests also store carbon and create important homes for wildlife over the decades as the trees mature.

Why Red Pine and Jack Pine?

Red pine and jack pine are two of Michigan’s signature species:

• Red pine grows tall and straight, forming classic “up-north” pine stands that help stabilize soils, filter water, and provide nesting and cover for wildlife.

• Jack pine is a scrappy, sun-loving tree that thrives on dry, sandy sites. It’s also essential habitat for species like the Kirtland’s warbler, which depends on young jack pine forests to survive.

By planting a mix of these native seedlings, reforestation projects help:

• Rebuild forest cover on damaged or depleted lands

• Improve wildlife habitat and biodiversity

• Protect watersheds and reduce erosion

• Store carbon and support long-term climate resilience

See Where the Trees Are Being Planted

Explore where new pine forests are growing across both Upper and Lower Michigan with our interactive maps of both present and past (2020-2024) planting locations.

You can zoom in on each location, see the surrounding landscape, and discover how these reforestation projects fit into the broader forested regions of the state.

The Power of Planting Trees: The Real Impact of 1 to 1,000 Conifer Seedlings

When you plant a tree through A Living Tribute, you’re doing far more than adding greenery to the landscape — you’re helping restore forests, rebuild ecosystems, and create living legacies that honor people and the planet.

Each seedling planted supports large-scale reforestation projects across North America, where native conifers are restoring wildlife habitat, improving air and water quality, and capturing carbon for generations to come.

But how much difference does each tree really make? And what happens when you plant 10, 100, or even 1,000 trees?

Below, we explore the real, measurable impact of planting different quantities of bare-root conifer seedlings — the same type used in many of our reforestation projects throughout the U.S. and Canada.

🌱 1 Seedling — A Single Living Legacy

Even one tree seedling planted starts a ripple effect of renewal.

A single conifer — such as a Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, or longleaf pine — can:

• Absorb about 48 lbs of CO₂ per year once mature, or nearly 1 ton over its lifetime.

• Release enough oxygen annually for two people to breathe for a day.

• Begin stabilizing soil and retaining groundwater, especially on degraded slopes.

• Offer the first bit of shelter and food for insects, pollinators, and small birds.

Planting just one tree begins the long-term process of transforming bare ground back into forest.

🌲 5 Seedlings — The Start of a Micro-Habitat

Five conifer seedlings collectively represent the early recovery of ~0.014 acres of land.

Together, they can:

• Sequester around 5 tons of CO₂ over their lifetimes.

• Start forming a micro-habitat that attracts songbirds, rabbits, and beneficial insects. Tree planting locations in Northeast Michigan are now utilizing bioacoustic sensors to detect the presence of species such as the Kirtland's Warbler, which is an indicator of ecological health and restoration success.

• Improve soil structure, reduce erosion, and kickstart native understory growth.

• Filter rainwater naturally, protecting nearby waterways.

Even a small grove creates a foundation for biodiversity.

🌳 10 Seedlings — A Mini-Forest Takes Root

Ten seedlings re-establish about 0.028 acres — roughly the footprint of a suburban lot.

Over time they will:

• Capture 10 tons of CO₂, enough to offset an average car’s annual emissions.

• Filter over 20,000 gallons of rainfall each year, recharging groundwater.

• Create shaded microclimates that cool the soil and promote biodiversity.

At this scale, you begin to see measurable environmental and climate benefits in a single growing season.

25 Seedlings — Reclaiming Ground for Wildlife

Twenty-five seedlings restore about 0.07 acres of forest — small in size but mighty in function.

These trees will:

• Remove 25 tons of CO₂ over their combined lifetimes.

• Rebuild underground mycorrhizal networks that share nutrients and water.

• Provide nesting and foraging space for birds, chipmunks, and beneficial insects.

• Help prevent invasive species from dominating open soil.

Even modest plantings like this are vital connectors between larger forest patches.

100 Seedlings — Carbon Sequestration and Soil Recovery

A hundred seedlings restore about 0.28 acres of land — just over a quarter acre.

Their lifetime impact includes:

• 100 tons of CO₂ sequestered, the equivalent of removing 20 cars from the road for a year.

• Hundreds of gallons of water retained in the soil after each rainfall.

• A burgeoning wildlife corridor where understory plants and pollinators begin returning.

At this level, the forest begins to function as a natural climate solution.

250 Seedlings — Rebuilding a Forest Corner

Planting 250 seedlings brings ~0.7 acres back to life — the size of a small field.

The ecological payoff:

• 250 tons of lifetime carbon storage.

• Dramatic improvements in soil fertility and microbial diversity.

• Stabilization of slopes and runoff reduction during heavy rainfall.

• Refuge for wildlife, from deer and owls to ground-nesting birds.

At this scale, forests begin self-sustaining regeneration cycles.

500 Seedlings — A Regenerating Grove and Carbon Sink

Five hundred seedlings restore roughly 1.4 acres — more than a football field’s end zone.

Their long-term impact:

• 500 tons of CO₂ sequestered as they mature.

• Thousands of gallons of rainwater filtered monthly, improving watershed quality.

• A balanced mix of tree heights and canopy cover, supporting multi-layered ecosystems.

• A noticeable cooling effect, reducing local temperatures through shade and transpiration.

At this level, your planting becomes a measurable carbon sink and thriving wildlife habitat.

1,000 Seedlings — Restoring 2.8 Acres of Forest

A thousand seedlings represent 2.8 acres of restored forest — enough to transform a hillside, wetland edge, or a small burn scar.

Over the next 50–100 years, they will:

• Store approximately 1,000 tons of CO₂, equivalent to offsetting 2.5 million vehicle-miles.

• Filter and recharge hundreds of thousands of gallons of clean water annually.

• Provide long-term habitat for hundreds of species, from raptors to pollinators.

• Anchor soils, prevent erosion, and cool the surrounding air by up to 10°F.

• Form a self-sustaining forest community that regenerates naturally for centuries.

At this scale, your contribution doesn’t just offset emissions — it brings a forest back to life.

🌎 Every Tree Counts

Whether you plant one tree seedling or one thousand, you’re part of a powerful movement to heal our forests. Each tree adds to a growing canopy of carbon storage, habitat creation, and hope for our future generations.

By planting through verified reforestation partners, your tree planting gift ensures native species, local stewardship, and measurable results — one seedling at a time.

Ready to Grow a Living Legacy?

Honor someone special or help reforest our planet with your own living tribute today:

🌿 Restoring the Angeles After the Station and Powerhouse Fires

Rebuilding a Resilient Forest in Southern California

The Angeles National Forest and San Gabriel Mountains have long stood as some of Southern California’s most cherished natural spaces. But in recent years, these landscapes have endured devastating wildfires that reshaped their ecology and tested the resilience of the land.

Two of the most destructive — the Station Fire (2009) and the Powerhouse Fire (2013) — together scorched nearly 190,000 acres of forest. Recovery has taken more than a decade of coordinated reforestation, careful planning, and collaboration. New trees will take root primarily in the Charlton-Chilao and Lake Hughes areas—places where both natural stands and earlier tree plantations have been heavily impacted by not only fire, but drought and insects.

🔥 The Station Fire (2009)

Igniting on August 26, 2009, along the Angeles Crest Highway, the Station Fire quickly became one of the largest in Los Angeles County’s history, consuming over 160,000 acres of the Angeles National Forest — roughly a quarter of the entire forest. It destroyed 89 structures, claimed two firefighters’ lives, and left behind slopes vulnerable to erosion and invasive weeds.

Unlike many Southern California fires, the Station Fire’s rapid spread wasn’t driven by wind but by severe drought, low humidity, and accumulated fuels after decades of fire suppression. Entire high-elevation pine forests and lower mixed-conifer stands were lost.

In its wake, the Forest Service began replanting efforts in priority zones such as Charlton–Chilao, where natural regeneration was limited. The work includes removing invasive species, stabilizing watersheds, and reestablishing native conifers across thousands of acres of burned terrain. Today, projects in this area continue to restore habitats for wildlife and prevent soil loss in the Big Tujunga watershed — an area critical for the region’s water supply and biodiversity.

🔥 The Powerhouse Fire (2013)

Four years later, the Powerhouse Fire ignited on May 30, 2013, near Lake Hughes, burning through 30,274 acres of rugged terrain before containment on June 8. Investigations traced the ignition to electrical equipment failure. The fire destroyed 53 structures and deforested roughly 10,000 acres of woodland, where more than half the mature trees were lost.

Reforestation efforts like the Sawmill–Liebre and Powerhouse Fire Restoration Projects are replanting native tree species across burned slopes and canyons to rebuild forest structure and watershed health. These efforts aim for 75–100 trees per acre surviving after five years — a benchmark for successful forest recovery in challenging post-fire environments.

🌱 What’s Being Planted

Current reforestation across the Angeles National Forest includes about 61,750 tree seedlings planted over 640 acres, focusing on Charlton–Chilao and Lake Hughes — both key recovery areas from the Station and Powerhouse burn scars.

Tree seedlings are selected for resilience to drought, elevation, and fire stress. The seedling mix includes:

• Coulter Pine (Pinus coulteri) – drought-tolerant and deep-rooted, ideal for steep terrain

• Jeffrey Pine (Pinus jeffreyi) – adapted to higher elevations, with aromatic bark

• Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) – fast-growing and ecologically foundational

• Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana) – vital for biodiversity and forest canopy structure

• Bigcone Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga macrocarpa) – a Southern California native critical for slope stability and wildlife habitat

These tree plantings are monitored for survival rates and complemented by weeding, invasive control, and erosion protection, ensuring each tree has the best chance to thrive.

🌄 Healing the Land, One Tree at a Time

Reforestation is a long-term process — it can take decades before planted areas resemble mature forests again. Yet each sapling represents resilience: stabilizing soil, restoring habitat, capturing carbon, and laying the foundation for a living forest that future generations can enjoy.

The Angeles National Forest’s ongoing replanting work stands as a model for climate-adaptive restoration in California’s fire-prone landscapes. Through partnerships and public support, this once-charred terrain is steadily returning to life — tree by tree.

🌿 Help Restore California Forests

Every tribute tree funds the planting of a native seedling in California’s National Forests — including the Angeles National Forest, where the Station and Powerhouse restoration continues today. Your tree helps rebuild habitats, restore natural beauty, and leave a lasting legacy of renewal.

Memorial Tree Planting: Six New Locations Added Across North America

Memorial trees are living tributes — rooted in the earth and in our hearts.

This season, we’re expanding A Living Tribute’s planting locations, giving you even more meaningful places to plant a tree in memory of a loved one.

Explore each forest below to see where these new tributes will take root — and open the exact Google Maps coordinates to view the tree planting and reforestation sites you’re helping bring back to life.

Lake Fire Reforestation: New Life in the San Bernardino Mountains 🌲

In this edition of our reforestation spotlight series, we look back at the Lake Fire Reforestation Project on the San Bernardino National Forest — a multi-year effort that brought new growth to a landscape forever changed by wildfire.

A Forest Transformed

In the summer of 2015, a massive wildfire called the Lake Fire swept through the San Bernardino Mountains near Big Bear Lake, California. The blaze burned more than 31,000 acres of forest, including popular recreation spots around Barton Flats, Seven Oaks, and Onyx Summit.

The fire left behind steep, rocky slopes and wide open hillsides where almost every tree had been lost. In some of these areas, the forest couldn’t grow back naturally — so reforestation efforts began to bring new life to this beloved mountain region.

Replanting Hope 

Beginning in 2017, crews and volunteers returned to the burn area to plant thousands of young trees. These new seedlings — mostly native pines and firs — were carefully planted on the hillsides that needed the most help, especially where mature trees had been completely destroyed and no natural seed sources remained.

Over time, these small trees have taken root and begun to transform the once-blackened slopes back into living forest. What was once a stark, gray landscape is now dotted with green — a visible reminder that nature can heal with a little help.