TEN U.S. CITIES SELECTED FOR URBAN ARBOR DAY CELEBRATIONS

02/17/06
NATIONAL ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION EVENTS, FUNDED BY GRANT FROM HOME DEPOT FOUNDATION, FOCUS ON UNDERSERVED, INNER-CITY AREAS.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nebraska City, NE (November 7, 2005) – The National Arbor Day Foundation will plant trees to restore diminishing urban forests in ten major U.S. cities in Spring 2006, thanks to a generous grant from The Home Depot Foundation for urban Arbor Day celebrations.

To kick off the project, the first celebration is scheduled for Georgia’s Arbor Day, on February 17, 2006, in Atlanta, location of The Home Depot’s corporate office. Subsequent Arbor Day celebrations will be scheduled on or close to state Arbor Days in 2006, as follows, with specific locations to be announced prior to each event:

Kansas City - April 7
Albany - April 28
Boston - April 28
Chicago - April 28
Dallas - April 28
Minneapolis - April 28
Phoenix - April 28
Reno - April 28
Los Angeles - April 29
(Note: April 28 events coincide with National Arbor Day, celebrated annually on the last Friday in April.)

Schoolchildren in each city will be invited to help plant up to 100 4-8 ft. trees as part of the Arbor Day celebration, giving them an opportunity to take an active role in improving their own communities and to interact with nature. Participating teachers will receive Activities Guides to help them present nature education lessons in preparation for the events. These lessons include hands-on and outdoor exploration activities for helping children build crucial observation and problem-solving skills. After each event, every child who takes part will receive a seedling tree to plant at home or elsewhere in the community.

This grant supports The Home Depot Foundation’s Healthy Community and Wildland Forests – Urban Forest Restoration initiative, focusing on tree planting to restore urban and rural forests. These fun, educational Arbor Day events will help restore and maintain urban forests in metropolitan areas while teaching children and volunteers about the important benefits of trees in their communities, including cleaner air, decreased heat-island effects, reduced energy usage, and shade and beauty for residents.

"We are excited to partner with The National Arbor Day Foundation on this initiative. Our foundation works with affordable housing and tree planting organizations across the country to promote livable, healthy and affordable communities. This partnership provides a terrific opportunity to further our goals," said Kelly Caffarelli, Executive Director, The Home Depot Foundation.

“We are grateful to The Home Depot Foundation for their commitment to maintaining healthy urban forests,” said John Rosenow, President of The National Arbor Day Foundation. “Their support is helping us reach underserved, inner cities, where trees are so desperately needed.”

About The Home Depot Foundation: The Home Depot Foundation invests in nonprofit organizations that are in the business of building better communities. The Home Depot and many of the suppliers who help fill the company’s shelves contribute to The Home Depot Foundation to help fulfill their shared vision of creating stronger, healthier neighborhoods. The Foundation focuses its efforts in the areas of affordable, efficient and healthy housing production and rehabilitation and tree planting to restore urban and rural forests. See www.homedepotfoundation.org for more information.

About The National Arbor Day Foundation: Founded in 1972, The National Arbor Day Foundation is a non-profit organization established to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. The Foundation’s national membership is nearly one million members, with more than eight million trees distributed to its members annually. The Foundation has worked with the USDA Forest Service since 1990, planting nearly four million trees in National Forests damaged by fire, insects or other natural causes. Visit www.arborday.org for more information.

# # #