Happy Arbor Day!

You don’t hear that very often these days.  Like a lot of things in life, traditional, straightforward old Arbor Day has been bested by a newer, younger, shinier competitor – Earth Day.  It’s Bugs Bunny vs. SpongeBob; K-Mart vs. Target; scotch vs. vodka; bowling vs. Wii bowling.  And to make matters worse, Arbor Day is a week after Earth Day which is like throwing a big party on January 2^nd, or seeing fireworks on July 8^th.  Tough to motivate…

And like the hottest new act or the trendiest designer, everyone wants a piece of Earth Day – green leaders, celebs, brands, bands, politicians, media companies and anyone looking to bask in the (environmentally-friendly) glow of Earth Day.   The gang’s all there.

That’s certainly not a bad thing – it’s a great thing.  Great that for a day at least, the big focus in our world is… our world.  Great that maybe it turns some “no-greens” into  “light greens” who will do their small part going forward.  Great for the Timberland brand, since we need the outdoors to stay great — or you don’t really need us anymore.

But at Timberland, we actually like authentic, traditional stuff.   Not stodgy or dated or out-of touch or boring, of course, but there’s something to the idea of simplicity – of basic, timeless activities done well or re-invented.   Like bootmaking, say.

So this year, we’re naming ourselves the Official Worldwide Footwear, Apparel, and Accessories Sponsor of Arbor Day. OK, not really – we’re not sure that’s actually legal without paying a fee to someone … but the thought is there.  At least for a day, we’re going to elevate Arbor Day because even though they give shade, trees deserve their day in the sun.  (I literally just made that up).

So why are we doing this?   A couple of reasons…

• Our logo is a tree. Our first word is Timber.  Our second word is Land.  Not super-complicated.
• We think trees are important. We’ve been planting them for 10 years in places like the Horqin Desert in China where reforestation is a critical issue.  Our six nurseries in Haiti are up and running and providing sustainable fuel and food for people in need.  For a large portion of the world, lack of trees is creating monumental environmental issues.
• We like getting people involved with our brand.  We love to sell outdoor gear, but we also like making small differences.  Our CEO calls it “doing well while doing good” – the idea that you can mix commerce and justice if you just try a little harder.  And if you do, people will want to join in.

So, as the Official Worldwide Footwear, Apparel, and Accessories Sponsor of Arbor Day, we invite you to come join us for a few, easy-to-do activities on April 29^th:

• Plant a tree with us. If you can click, you can plant. With our virtual tree planting application on Facebook, just set up your own virtual forest, get your friends to stop by and help, and we’ll plant a real tree for every virtual one you plant.   No dirt, no mess, no need to do laundry.
• Find out what kind of tree you are with our “Hortiscope” quiz on Facebook.   I’m an Oak, and apparently I’m “robust.”  That seems pretty good.  Better than a weeping willow, I suppose.
• Check out our “Arbor What?” video on YouTube to see just how unknown and under-celebrated the holiday really is.

There’s a reason why trees got their own day 139 years ago – help remember why on April 29^th.  Take a 10-minute break from watching Royal Wedding videos, click on over and plant one on us.  There’s just a small amount of pomp and no circumstance, but you’ll make a small difference.

Tags: Arbor Day, Arbor Day video, Facebook, Hortiscope quiz, reforestation, Timberland, tree planting, tree planting application, Virtual Forest, YouTube