Background
Plant A Million is a combined effort of Hoosier Heartland Resource Conservation and Development Council (HHRC&D) and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) in Boone, Brown, Hamilton, Hendricks, Hancock, Johnson, Marion, Monroe, Morgan, and Shelby Counties to plant a million or more native trees in the next six to ten years.

For more information about the Hoosier Heartland RC&D, visit the Council’s website at www.hhrcd.org.  For more information about the Plant A Million project, see the  Plant A Million Fact Sheet (PDF format) and other pages of this web site.

 

The Plant A Million Project 
One of Hoosier Heartland's most active projects is the Plant A Million (PAM) project. The PAM project has two important objectives:

  1. To help the people in Central Indiana understand the importance of trees in their daily lives and how to properly care for and manage their trees.

  2. To plant a million or more mostly native trees in Central Indiana.

 

So Why Should We Be Concerned About Planting Trees In Central Indiana?

The tree canopy coverage in half of Central Indiana’s cities and towns is well under 32%, several as low as 20%, while the recommended cover rate for livable, sustainable communities should be at least 40%.

 

Plant A Million not only strives to increase the canopy, it also seeks to improve the community's quality of life. Trees are indicators of a community's health. With rich, permeable soil and an abundant tree canopy cover, ecosystem services such as reduced storm water runoff, improved air and water quality, storage and removal of atmospheric carbon, and reduced energy consumption (due to direct shading of buildings), increase.

 

Indiana is also one of the nation’s largest suppliers of hardwood lumber. In order to continue this role, reforestation is needed in many of our counties to provide for future timber production.

 

Fragmentation of forestland and wildlife corridors is happening at an alarming rate due to development and the infrastructure needed to support a growing population. Strategic tree planting in suburban and rural areas can help link these riparian and forested corridors, making a significant impact in the environmental benefits we receive from trees.

 

This project is particularly important considering Central Indiana includes two of the fastest growing counties in the nation (Hendricks and Hamilton). Development and urban sprawl are occurring at an alarming rate. We have less park area, green space, and tree canopy cover than most comparable major metropolitan areas in the country.

 

About Hoosier Heartland Resource Conservation & Development
 Hoosier Heartland, a nonprofit organization of volunteers, is partnering with the ten Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Central Indiana, as well as other like-minded organizations and local businesses, to make this project happen. Since 1969, Hoosier Heartland has successfully carried out over 600 projects to improve the quality of life in Central Indiana.

 

You can help
You can help make good things happen in your community! Many dedicated volunteers, organizations, and businesses make Hoosier Heartland successful. To join the RC&D organization, or to donate to the cause, please contact the RC&D Council office at 317-290-3250 or contact your county's local Soil & Water Conservation District and get involved!

 

Click here to see a list of our Plant A Million Sponsors