REACH GREEN Partners With Arbor Day Foundation To Restore Endangered Longleaf Pine Forests in North Carolina

September 9, 2025

Grassroots nonprofit to fund restoration efforts in the Sandhills region through new partnership

BOSTON, MA (September 9, 2025) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – REACH GREEN, a grassroots nonprofit mobilizing athletes and active communities for environmental action, today announced its first official beneficiary, the Arbor Day Foundation. Together, the organizations will support the restoration of endangered longleaf pine forests in North Carolina’s Sandhills region, a once-thriving ecosystem now reduced to just five percent of its original footprint.

REACH GREEN was created to close the gap between caring about the environment and knowing how to help. The nonprofit organization raises funds and directs them to trusted partners delivering measurable, high-impact work to protect and restore green spaces. REACH GREEN will partner with endurance athletes, runners, cyclists, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts because they already feel the effects of climate change in their daily lives. The platform gives them a simple way to keep doing what they love while making an immediate, visible difference in the places they rely on for sport, health, and community.

The partnership reflects a shared belief in the power of local, visible action to drive lasting environmental change. REACH GREEN engages endurance athletes, walkers, runners, cyclists, and outdoor enthusiasts, and individuals whose daily lives are rooted in green spaces. The Arbor Day Foundation brings more than 50 years of experience in science-backed tree planting and ecosystem restoration.

“Trees are powerful because they make climate action feel real,” said Bouker Pool, Executive Director of REACH GREEN, Inc. “They clean the air, cool our neighborhoods, and restore the spaces our community depends on. That’s why this partnership is such a natural fit; it reflects our belief that the most effective action is rooted in something people already understand, value, and want to protect.”

REACH GREEN’s first project, in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, will fund the reforestation of native longleaf pine trees in the Sandhills region of the Southwest. These trees are essential to supporting local biodiversity while also stabilizing soil, protecting watersheds, and building long-term climate resilience.

“As a lifelong advocate for green spaces who has participated in outdoor recreational events like triathlons, the connection between movement and the environment can be invigorating,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Partnering with REACH GREEN allows us to engage a new audience that values the outdoors and wants to protect it. Together, we’re restoring ecosystems and building momentum for environmental action.”

The Arbor Day Foundation selects reforestation projects based on ecological need, community benefit, and long-term viability. The Sandhills project was identified as a priority due to its high conservation value and the opportunity to restore a historically significant landscape that supports hundreds of plant and animal species.

This marks the first of what REACH GREEN envisions as a growing portfolio of projects that connect local passion to measurable impact. As the organization expands, it will continue partnering with trusted nonprofits working in communities where green spaces are under threat and climate resilience is most needed.

To stay up to date and get involved, sign up for REACH GREEN’s free newsletter at reachgreen.org.

About the Arbor Day Foundation
The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. They foster a growing community of more than 1 million leaders, innovators, planters, and supporters united by their bold belief that a more hopeful future can be shaped through the power of trees. For more than 50 years, they’ve answered critical need with action, planting more than half a billion trees alongside their partners. And this is only the beginning.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit pursuing a future where all life flourishes through the power of trees. Learn more at arborday.org.

About REACH GREEN

REACH GREEN is a grassroots nonprofit that mobilizes endurance athletes, outdoor enthusiasts, and community advocates to protect green spaces and build climate-resilient neighborhoods. Created to close the gap between caring about the environment and knowing how to help, REACH GREEN raises funds and directs them to trusted partners delivering measurable, high-impact restoration and preservation work. By starting with people whose daily lives are tied to parks, trails, and open spaces, the organization makes environmental action personal, participatory, and easy to integrate into everyday life. Learn more at reachgreen.org.