Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota Encourage Americans to Celebrate National Arbor Day by Volunteering

Innovative Online Tool Connects Volunteers to Events in All 50 States

LINCOLN, Neb., April 16, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota invite the public to find conservation-oriented volunteer events in their own community in the spirit of National Arbor Day on April 26. Non-profits, businesses and civic groups throughout the country are already using an online tool to recruit volunteers in anticipation of the tree-planting holiday.

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This Arbor Day, volunteers in all 50 states can more easily learn about and share conservation projects in their communities through the Volunteer Center at arbordaynow.org/volunteer. The enhanced site features an interactive database, made possible by support from Toyota and a partnership with VolunteerMatch.org.

The Volunteer Center has received more than 100,000 unique page views since its launch last year.

"With National Arbor Day around the corner, now is a great time to get involved," said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. "By offering even a little of your time toward tree planting and community improvement, you help to create a healthier planet for all of us."

"We are thrilled to support the Arbor Day Foundation," said Patricia Salas Pineda, group vice president, National Philanthropy and the Toyota USA Foundation. "At Toyota, our commitment to the environment goes beyond our leadership with advanced technology cars.  We also support programs and events, like National Arbor Day, that engage new voices, perspectives and talents in conservation.  By helping more people get involved – both on Arbor Day and beyond – we can help the environmental movement achieve its grandest goals."

Americans have been planting trees on Arbor Day since 1872. Nebraska City, Neb., resident, civic leader and agriculturist J. Sterling Morton urged Nebraskans to "set aside one day to plant trees, both forest and fruit." Since its founding during the holiday's centennial year in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has delivered more than 200 million trees to millions of members, supporters and avid tree planters in every state across America.

More information on the Volunteer Center is available at arbordaynow.org/volunteer.

About the Arbor Day Foundation: The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit conservation and education organization of one million members, with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at arborday.org, or by visiting us on Facebook, Twitter or our blog.

About Volunteer Match: VolunteerMatch strengthens communities by making it easier for good people and good causes to connect. The organization offers a variety of online services to support a community of non-profit, volunteer and business leaders committed to civic engagement. Our popular service welcomes millions of visitors a year and has become the preferred internet recruiting tool for more than 80,000 nonprofit organizations.

About Toyota: Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates 10 manufacturing plants.  Toyota directly employs over 31,000 in the United States and its investment here is currently valued at more than $19.5 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design.

Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities where it does business and believes in supporting programs with long-term sustainable results. Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education, the environment and safety. To date, Toyota has contributed nearly $700 million to philanthropic programs in the United States. 

For more information on Toyota's commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit http://www.toyota.com/philanthropy.

SOURCE Arbor Day Foundation