FIND A PROJECT

PROJECT #40

Plant a Forest

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  • To plant a forest, you will need:

    Paper or a journal

    Drawing materials (pencils, markers)

     

  • Did you know that there are people all over the world who are working to keep our planet healthy? 

    One way they do this is by planting trees — lots and LOTS of trees. According to the United Nations Environmental Program, 1.9 billion trees are planted every year!

    To help you remember this, especially on days when you feel worried about our beautiful planet, you’re going to plant some trees in your mind — lots and LOTS of trees.

     

  • STEP 1 OF 8

    The way to plant trees in your mind is to first draw them on paper.

    So, let’s grab some paper or a journal. If you want to fill a poster with trees, choose a large piece of paper.

    Ready to draw your first tree? Let’s get started! 

     

  • STEP 2 OF 8

    The goal is to plant a whole forest, so you will want to draw your trees small. That way you can fit a lot of trees on your paper, poster, or journal pages.

    There are many different ways to draw a tree. You can make your trees look realistic or magical—this is your forest, so it’s up to you!

    Some people like to draw the same style tree over and over. This can be very calming, almost like meditating. Other people like to give every tree its own personality. Concentrating on drawing different kinds of trees can also be a way to take your mind off other things.

     

  • STEP 3 OF 8

    Every time you draw a tree, imagine someone out in a forest planting a real tree. 

    You can also think about this: During the time it takes you to draw your trees, this is how many trees are being planted around the world:

    60 trees every second

    3,600 trees every minute

    180,000 trees every hour

     

  • STEP 4 OF 8

    If you want, you can set a goal for yourself. Here are some examples:

    1. Draw a certain number of trees a day — you decide how many!

    2. Draw a tree every morning or every night before you go to bed

    3. Add trees to your forest once a week

    4. Fill an entire journal or tiny book

    To remember your goal, you can write it down and post it on your desk or wall.

     

  • STEP 5 OF 8

    The more trees you draw, the more you will be reminded of all the people in the world who are working hard to keep our earth healthy and growing.

    If you’d like to plant real trees, you can look up tree planting events in your area. The Arbor Day Foundation website keeps a list of events happening around the country, and you can also learn more on the National Forest Foundation website. 

     

  • STEP 6 OF 8

    Before we say goodbye, how about trying our visualization exercise? A visualization exercise is when you close your eyes and listen to words that take your mind on a journey. 

    You will need someone in your group to lead the visualization by reading these words:

    “First, get into a comfortable position and close your eyes—or, if you’d rather, you can keep your eyes open.

    Take a deep breath in until your lungs are filled all the way up.

    Now let your breath all the way out.

    Take another deep breath in. Hold your breath for the count of 1, 2, 3, then let it all the way out.

    As you continue breathing normally, imagine you are standing in front of a forest.

    You are wearing a backpack. Inside your backpack are baby trees called saplings.

    There’s a path in front of you, leading into the forest. You walk along this path until you are surrounded by beautiful, healthy trees.

    Birds are singing from the tree tops. A squirrel scurries up the trunk of a tree.

    The air is fresh and cool. You breathe it in until it fills your lungs.

    You keep walking until you come to an opening where there are no trees. This is where you will plant your trees.

    Kneeling down, you set your backpack on the ground.

    There is also a small shovel in your backpack. With this shovel, you dig holes in the ground for your trees, being sure to leave plenty of space between them so your trees can grow big and tall.

    You dig one hole, then another, and another, and pretty soon you’ve dug 10 holes.

    Now you reach inside your backpack and remove your baby trees—your saplings.

    You place one sapling inside a hole and gently fill the rest of the hole with earth.

    You plant the next tree, and the next one, and the next one, until you have planted all 10 trees. 

    When you are finished, you stand back up and look at your beautiful little trees. One day they will grow as tall as the tallest trees in the forest.

    Stretching deep into the earth, their steady roots will hold hands with roots of other trees, so they’re never alone.

    Their branches will lift up to the sun, strong enough to sway in the wind without breaking.

    Birds will build nests there, and little creatures will find safe homes in their branches.

    They’ll stand together through cloudy, stormy, and sunny days—steady, patient, and brave.

    Before you go, take a deep breath of fresh forest air. Hold it in your lungs and then slowly let it out. 

    Take another deep breath, and another. Keep breathing in the cool forest air until you are ready to open your eyes.

     

  • STEP 7 OF 8

    How did that feel?

    If you liked it, you can close your eyes and try it again any time you want. You can imagine yourself planting more trees, visiting the trees you already planted to see how tall they’ve grown, or just wandering through the woods. 

    This exercise can be especially helpful when you’re feeling stressed or worried.

     

  • STEP 8 OF 8

    Want to share your tree drawings with us? Just click below to plant them in our gallery!

     

    Share your creation!