Green Forests Work

10/12/2026

09/22/2026

Trees take years to grow, but that doesn't mean our sites stay rocky and bare for long. We like to help our pollinator friends by broadcasting a native warm-season grass and wildflower seed mix when we plant. Just look at this site! The Maximilian sunflower, showy tickseed, and brown-eyed susan were on full display at a site we planted in April 2026.

09/11/2026

Picture 1: Deborah "Debby" Borza and Chris Barton, president and founder of Green Forests Work, planted a hemlock that was grown from seed collected at Gettysburg Battlefield, as the ceremonial first tree in 2013 at the Flight 93 Memorial Park. Debby's daughter, Deora Bodley, was the youngest passenger on United Airlines Flight 93. Deora was a junior at Santa Clara University and was returning home after visiting family in New Jersey.

Picture 2: Green Forests Work Reforestation Coordinator Eric Oliver stands beside the Gettysburg hemlock on October 7, 2025.

08/25/2026

Green Forests Work values its partnership with The Nature Conservancy of Kentucky and other partners as we continue reforesting former mined lands across Kentucky, the Appalachian region, and beyond.

08/24/2026

Green Forests Work is honored to be a part of this project.

07/16/2026

We've been partnering with Green Forests Work to restore a former coal mine site near Clinchco, Virginia. Now, a site that was covered in autumn olive and other invasive species will be restored to its native beauty.

From March through mid-May, professional contractors began the process of preparing the land and planting over 102,000 seedlings across 114 acres, with the community coming together in late spring for a tree-planting ceremony.

Thanks to Green Forests Work for featuring this collaboration in their newsletter!

https://mailchi.mp/greenforestswork/green-forests-work-summer-2026-newsletter

07/01/2026

Green Forests Work (GFW) has wrapped up its 2026 planting season, planting 1,006,920 trees across nearly 2,000 acres. Since 2009, with the support of our partners and funders, GFW has planted over 8.5 million trees across more than 16,000 acres. We are well on target to reach (and surpass!) our goal of 10,000,000 trees in the ground between 2020 and 2030! Check out our work below.

Green Forests Work, a nonprofit tree-planting organization, creates renewable and sustainable multi-use resources by converting reclaimed, non-native grasslands and shrublands into healthy, productive forestland.

07/01/2026

Green Forests Work (GFW) is proud to be a part of this initiative to purchase land adjacent to the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. We look forward to performing ecological restoration on areas of the property that were surface-mined for coal.

A Conservation Victory!

The final results are in, and we're thrilled to announce that the Arc of Appalachia is now the proud steward of Tracts 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8!

That means nearly 2,000 acres of the New River Wilderness will now be permanently protected!

We are nothing short of amazed and deeply grateful for the overwhelming support that made this campaign a reality. A huge thank you to each individual person who helped the Arc along the way.

More details to come soon...

06/24/2026

Decades of collaboration. One essential resource. 🌲

A new open-access book highlights the science and partnerships driving red spruce restoration across the central and southern Appalachians.

With contributions from 40+ authors, this book captures the knowledge, progress, and shared commitment behind restoring these iconic high-elevation forests.

Read the press release below and access the free book here:
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-19616-3

"Ecology and Restoration of Red Spruce Ecosystems of the Central and Southern Appalachians" is now available for free download through Springer Press.