As part of its celebration of its 20thanniversary and of World Environment Day, Costa Rica’s Earth University will plant a million trees throughout the world.
To accomplish the feat, the university will tap into the motivation and technical know-how of its close to 1,500 alumni, who are spread around the world. Trees will be planted in 26 countries, including all of Latin America and the Caribbean as well as in China, India, Uganda, Mozambique and beyond, said Karla Mena, the event’s organizer.
Since its founding, Earth has focused reforestation efforts on its campus. However, for this anniversary year they established an initial goal of planting 200,000 trees throughout the world to “help the planet breath easier,” said Mena. When they surpassed that amount months ago, they bumped it up to a million. Mena says the new goal is about to be met. This is the first time Earth has organized a worldwide event drawing on its alumni.
To help support the cause, trees can be purchased through Facebook and Twitter, as well as through the university’s website: www.earthsiembraelfuturo.org. The campaign is sponsored by CNN and Cummins, an international engine manufacturing and distribution company based in the U.S. state of Indiana. A number of businesses in each country are supporting local efforts.
Earth University is an international, private, nonprofit institution founded upon the belief that through conviction and commitment, people can solve the problems facing humanity and the planet. Earth offers study opportunities for young people from throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as from underdeveloped areas in Africa and Asia, so that they may become agents of change in their communities. The current student body of 400 represents 25 different countries.
