By Deborah Gangloff

In the wake of September 11, a decades-old tradition may offer solace, hope for the future.

"A monument of trees in a well-ordered grove is human and humane. It speaks the language of freemen. It is full of solace and hope to the bereaved. As a living and a breathing thing, it speaks of victory over death. It is expressive of thanks and devotion by the people to its heroes dead and living."-Richard Leiber, Secretary of the Indiana Board of Forestry.

That quote could have been written this fall but in fact is more than 80 years old. Leiber's words come from post-World War I America, when a changed nation looked toward the future and a time of peace. Like then, our world today looks very different in the wake of September 11.

Although the prevailing talk has been of our shattered sense of security, there is a more palpable change in our sense of ourselves as individuals and Americans. People seem to go out of their way to help each other, and I think we all have a better understanding of our place as members of the global community.

American flags, once reserved for certain holidays, now fly daily, symbols of our renewed sense of patriotism. Americans have rallied to make donations, give blood, and help in any way they can.

Here at American Forests, the best way we can help is by doing what we do best: plant trees. As Leiber's quote shows, trees are living legacies. Today they will be lasting tributes to the heroes of Sept. 11.

On Sept. 20 I e-mailed the network of tree-planting agencies and organizations with whom we regularly work to gauge interest in a tree planting for the men and women who gave or risked their lives that day. The response was a resounding yes. American Forests' members have also responded, sending their support to plant trees in communities nationwide to honor Sept. 11's heroes-those who were friends and family and those who were not.

Some of us have special people we want to honor. The urban forest network lost a rising star, Chris Snyder of Hawaii, who was at American Forests' National Urban Forest Conference in Washington, DC, before the attack. Chris took a trip to New York after our conference and was flying home on United Airlines Flight 93 out of Newark when the plane was hijacked and crashed in rural Pennsylvania.

Chris was a certified arborist for The Outdoor Circle in Hawaii, and her friends are making plans to honor her life and memory. The Christine Snyder Tree Education Fund will teach future generations the importance of trees. American Forests has planted 100 trees in Chris's memory and will support the planting of a grove of memorial trees in her beloved Hawaii.

Trees in public places can be essential parts of the tributes we make. The knoll near the Pentagon and the parks in lower Manhattan have filled with flowers and tokens of remembrance. Memorial tree groves can focus our commemorative actions and serve as lasting legacies. They are also symbols of our commitment to the future.

And the United States needs a greener future. At our conference, we estimated the National Urban Tree Deficit to be 634,407,719 trees. Replacing these missing community trees would provide billions of dollars in environmental benefits and improve the quality of our lives. Thousands of restoration projects in rural areas need millions of trees to provide clean air, pure water, and improved wildlife habitat. What better way to honor the heroes of Sept. 11 than by establishing lasting places of honor while improving our environment for future generations?

If you or your community would like to plant trees for our heroes dead and living, please let us know. Perhaps the best tribute American Forests can make is to help people plant trees to remember and to look ahead to a better, greener tomorrow. AF

Deborah Gangloff is American Forests' executive director.[TOP]