Jad Daley, president and CEO of American Forests, and Daniela Lukomski, marketing manager at Eddie Bauer, pose next to a newly planted tree in Skokie, Ill.
Jad Daley, president and CEO of American Forests, and Daniela Lukomski, marketing manager at Eddie Bauer, pose next to a newly planted tree in Skokie, Ill. Credit: Michael Woestehoff.

EXCITING TIMES are on the horizon: American Forests and Eddie Bauer are celebrating our Silver Anniversary, as well as Eddie Bauer’s Centenary. Next year marks not only Eddie Bauer’s 100-year anniversary, it is also the 25th year of their partnership with American Forests. The partnership has led to the planting of more than 8 million trees across North America, a tremendous feat.

Last year, Eddie Bauer launched #WhyIHike, a campaign geared towards encouraging people to share their inspiration for getting outdoors while also motivating them to learn about the environment and help preserve it for future generations.

“Together, we are able to bring greater awareness to causes we believe in, open the conversation with customers, and connect the idea of conservation to the consumer’s enjoyment of forests and outdoor spaces,” says Eddie Bauer President Damien Huang.

For year two of #WhyIHike, Eddie Bauer decided to kick off Earth Month by investing in the restoration of a critical, yet often overlooked, outdoor recreation opportunity, the urban forest. American Forests, who has been pioneering in the urban forestry field for more than a century, was a natural fit for bringing their goals to fruition.

On Saturday, April 15th, Eddie Bauer employees and customers joined residents of Skokie, Ill., a Chicago suburb, to plant nearly 40 trees along streets and other paved areas. These trees will improve air quality, intercept and filter rainfall for clean urban waters, and keep the area 5 to 7 degrees cooler on hot summer days.

Following the planting, volunteers then joined Emily Okallau, community outreach coordinator for the Chicago Region Trees Initiative, on an urban hike, just miles from downtown Chicago to learn about the critical role trees in and around cities play for health, sustainability and livability of residents.

“Eddie Bauer is investing in the type of recreational opportunities we want to create, providing extra emphasis on making nature accessible to everyone, including people in urban areas,” said Jad Daley, president and CEO of American Forests. “The only bad hike is a hike you never took. Urban forests allow people to find their adventure wherever they might be.”