"Because there is deforestation to an alarming extent, the extent of carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere has considerably increased. Therefore, the remedy for this situation is intensive afforestation, growing more trees everywhere and protecting the existing trees without destroying them for other purposes. Thus, the relationship of man, Nature and God is very intimate..."
Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, January 21, 1993
The goal of One Million (OM) Sai Trees Initiative:
Plant and Nurture One Million Trees by November 2025
Trees teach us many lessons; they capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and are critical to sustaining human life. We have over a hundred Sri Sathya Sai Centers, and 10,000+ volunteers across the U.S., committed to planting a million trees to commemorate our spiritual teacher Sri Sathya Sai Baba's 100th birthday. Each individual, family, center, and region are encouraged to participate in one of many ways, including identifying suitable spaces for planting such as their own yard, indoor space, schools, places of worship or public parks, and more.
How to get involved:
- Source trees of various sizes and species to suit local climates across the country
- Help identify planting sites
- Co-organize planting events with any partner organization in your local /regional areas
- Support procuring trees or saplings
- Share in stewarding trees in the early years
Arbor Day Foundation Partnership:
SSSIO USA has entered into a partnership with Arbor Day Foundation to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees! This partnership enables our members to order appropriate trees at a discounted rate. In addition, one can enroll as a member of Arbor Day Foundation and receive 10 free trees. Members can help with reforestation efforts through this partnership.
To order trees at a discount:
- Visit shop.arborday.org/nursery
- Select the trees you want to buy and add it to the cart
- Make sure you use code SATHYA10 at checkout to get the membership price.
To become an Arbor Day Foundation member click ADF Membership Registration - SSSIO
To plant trees through the Arbor Day Foundation, pledge at https://www.pledge.to/SSSIO
Guidelines for planting:
To plant trees in the backyard or grow house plants, please follow the guidance provided in the following resources:
The Lord declares that He is the Seed of all Beings. Watch a tree! The roots, the trunk, the branches, the twigs, the shoots, the leaves, the flowers, the fruits all look different in form, taste, hardness, and smell. They have different uses for the tree and for us. But all this manifold variety is produced, sustained, subsumed, and served by One Single SEED. And, each fruit contains the same SEED! He is the Seed, He is the Tree, He is the Fruit. Love is the Seed, Love is the Tree, Love is the Fruit.
Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 10, Ch. 24