Lowe’s and American Forests Give Away One Million Trees for Earth Day

Lowe’s is celebrating Earth Day in a big way this year – one million trees big. On April 23, Lowe’s, in partnership with American Forests, will give away one million tree saplings to customers during in-store Earth Day celebrations nationwide. When planted, these one million trees will eventually produce more than 260,000,000 pounds of oxygen annually, providing air for more than 670,000 people for one year.

Each tree will be bar-coded so customers can register their trees online at Lowes.com/earthday and see where other trees are being planted across the country. Customers will also be able to scan a 2D barcode on the tree bag from a mobile phone for instant access to tree facts and a short informational video on how to plant and care for the sapling. Lowe’s and American Forests identified species for each region that can grow successfully in the climate conditions and terrain. The size of the sapling depends on the type of tree. Properly cared for over the years, customers will enjoy seeing their tree become a centerpiece of their landscape. The trees were grown by Jonsteen Nursery.

"Putting trees into the hands of our customers is a simple way to make a big difference on Earth Day. We hope that these trees will be a catalyst for our customers to seek out other simple ways to give back to the earth at home and in day-to-day life,” said Kevin Measel, Lowe’s vice president of nursery merchandising.

To plant a tree at home you will need a free, one-in-a-million tree from Lowe’s, a container, soil, water and light. Once the tree is planted, just sit back, relax and watch it grow. Customers may even share their tree growing stories and progress on the community page of LowesCreativeIdeas.com.

Why plant trees? According to American Forests:

• Planting trees makes cents. Planting trees strategically around your home can cut your air conditioning bills in half by providing windbreaks and shade.
• Breathe in, breathe out. As trees grow, they naturally filter airborne pollutants like carbon monoxide, lower the air temperature and produce oxygen.
• Pay your carbon debt. Planting just 30 Global ReLeaf trees will absorb the amount of carbon dioxide that is produced by the average American lifestyle each year.
• Trees are beautiful! Plus, trees indigenous to the area are food sources and homes for birds and animals that depend on them for survival.

Trees are available while supplies last. In addition to the one million tree giveaway, Lowe’s will host a special Earth Day Build and Grow clinic at 10 a.m. on April 23. Every Lowe’s store nationwide will offer the Build and Grow clinic, which guides children through building a wooden birdhouse to take home. To sign-up for the Earth Day Build and Grow clinic at a local store, visit Lowes.com/BuildandGrow. Customers in select markets will also be able to meet with local utility companies at the store to learn about cutting energy costs at home.

For more information about Earth Day at Lowe’s, visit Lowes.com/earthday.

About Lowe’s

With fiscal year 2010 sales of $48.8 billion, Lowe’s Companies, Inc. is a FORTUNE^® 50 company that serves approximately 15 million customers a week at more than 1,750 home improvement stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe’s is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world. For more information, visit Lowes.com.

About American Forests

American Forests connects, educates, and inspires people to restore and protect rural and urban forests. Founded in 1875, the organization has served as a catalyst for many of the most important milestones in the conservation movement, including the founding of the U.S. Forest Service and national park system, the creation of the modern environmental movement, and literally thousands of forest ecosystem restoration and education efforts. Since 1991, American Forests has planted nearly 40 million trees in forests throughout the U.S. and beyond, resulting in cleaner air and drinking water, restored habitat for wildlife, and the removal of millions of tons of carbon from the atmosphere. Learn more at www.americanforests.org.

About Jonsteen Nursery

The Jonsteen Company specializes in the mighty Coast Redwoods and Giant Sequoias of California, but grows a wonderfully diverse selection of trees that are available through various retail nurseries including Lowe’s, as well as through its own online tree boutique (www.sequoiatrees.com). Over the years, Jonsteen has partnered with a wide range of organizations and businesses – from The Smithsonian Institution to Disneyland – in its efforts to educate about trees and put live trees directly into people’s hands.