Denver Mattress + Arbor Day Foundation: An Impactful Partnership for a Greener Planet
Earth Day has come and gone and that means Arbor Day is almost here! This time of year, it seems like people everywhere are paying special attention to their impact on the environment. At Denver Mattress, this is an especially exciting time because we love reflecting on how far we’ve come regarding our environmental initiatives!
In recent years, Denver Mattress has invested in eco-friendly initiatives to bridge the gap between quality and sustainability. Along with using only recycled steel to make all of the coils in our Denver Mattress brand mattresses, we’ve also restructured our entire mattress production facility to recapture and upcycle over 90% of our unused materials.
Denver Mattress + Arbor Day Foundation
In addition to our own business practices, one of our most impactful and lasting environmental initiatives we have ever been a part of is our partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation. We first started donating to the Arbor Day Foundation in the year 2000, and this partnership has allowed our commitment to the environment to reach so much further than we ever thought possible.
The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit dedicated to its mission of inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate the universal need for trees. The Foundation operates an impressive global network of members, partners, and supporters, with over 50 years of experience planting and caring for trees all around the world. The Arbor Day Foundation has planted over 500 million trees since their inception, and their goal is to plant 500 million more by June 2027 with a focus on helping restore forests and communities of greatest need.
Throughout our long-standing partnership, we’ve had a variety of donation plans to support the Foundation’s work, with our minimum donation helping to plant at least 10,000 trees every year. We are proud to say that, to this day, our partnership has aided in the planting of over 340,000 new trees in total!
Our Recent Impacts
Our contributions have supported some pretty incredible things in recent years, with a variety of projects making their positive mark around the country and globe.
Last year, we helped plant trees in support of the Arbor Day Foundation’s Bootleg Fire Project, a project meant to restore damaged lands impacted by the Bootleg Fire.
The Bootleg Fire was a wildfire in southern Oregon in 2021, the third-largest in state history.
As a result of the success of the Bootleg Fire Project, 2,938,273 new ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, and white fir trees were planted in the area between May and June 2023! Those newly planted trees not only support biodiversity in those areas, but they also help restore the habitat for bald eagles, large game, and small mammals, all while playing an essential role in repairing water quality in the Klamath River.
Planting Seeds for the Future
This year, we’re supporting the planting of 10,000 trees as part of the Foundation’s Longleaf Pine Ecosystem Restoration Across Texas project.
The longleaf pine once covered over 90 million acres from Virginia to Texas and was a beloved symbol of the American Southeast. Presently, the longleaf pine covers less than 3% of its original range, which has been devastating to the nearly 600 animal and plant species that depend on those impacted ecosystems. The Foundation has identified the American Southeast as one of its global priority regions, which is why the Longleaf Pine Ecosystem Restoration Across Texas project is reintroducing this influential tree back to its native environment.
Four hundred years ago, early settlers gradually cut down the majority of longleaf pine trees to use as manufacturing materials and convert land for agricultural use. Rather than re-planting more longleaf pines, they were replaced by cheaper, less-suitable trees that ultimately changed the landscape. Now, this effort is restoring those lost longleaf forests to bring life back to this region. These longleaf pine forests are being restored primarily on private lands, with planting planned for multiple tracts of land in Texas. Private lands currently make up a significant portion of the natural habitat for longleaf pines, and the landowners involved in this project are ecstatic to restore their cherished property to its former splendor!
Planting longleaf pine trees in their natural environment helps improve biodiversity and provides numerous environmental benefits. Planting more longleaf pine trees helps combat forest fragmentation, turning disrupted longleaf pine habitat into a larger, happier network of trees for regional wildlife! They have an open canopy structure that grows far apart, encouraging plant and animal life to thrive between them. Longleaf pines can also grow in various environments, ranging from sandy to mountainous, making them durable. And, because they resist certain diseases and rot, replanting them in their natural habitat will sustain and promote reforestation for generations to come!
Final Thoughts
Our partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation is truly one of the most fulfilling aspects of our business. It is our greatest hope that we lead by example and use our resources to support our planet, paving the future for generations to come. Join us in showing your support by posting #ArborDay all this week and follow the Arbor Day Foundation here:
Facebook: @ArborDay
Instagram: @arbordayfoundation
Twitter: @arborday
LinkedIn: @Arbor Day Foundation
TikTok: @arbordayfoundation
About the Arbor Day Foundation
Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation is the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. Together with our partners, we have helped plant more than 500 million trees in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests throughout the world. Our vision is to lead toward a world where trees are used to solve issues critical to survival. Through our members, partners and programs, the Arbor Day Foundation inspires people across the globe to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information is available at arborday.org.