See My Tree Verified Tree Location Program

Benefits of Trees

April 2026. I am writing this blog right after Earth Day and just before Arbor Day, thus trees are front and center in my mind.  Many of us know and appreciate the importance and benefits of trees. For those of you who need a refresher, and without getting into all the details, here are ten reasons why we need to plant trees:

1. Trees absorb CO2 gases helping offset the effects of climate change.
2. Trees provide oxygen and clean the air at the same time.
3. Tree coverage helps cool by day and retain heat at night thus conserving energy.
4. Trees act as natural water filters, reduce soil erosion, and help prevent flooding.
5. Trees help increase property values and beautify communities.
6. Trees provide a habitat for the world’s plants and animals to, if not thrive, at least survive.
7. Trees can provide food for both humans and animals.
8. Trees provide many health benefits including shielding us from harmful ultra-violet rays.
9. Trees create economic opportunities, especially in impoverished areas around the world.
10. Trees provide shade so we can enjoy a picnic.

In summary, trees are simply amazing. They clean air and water, reverse the impact of land degradation, prevent species loss, and ease poverty by helping communities achieve long-term economic sustainability by providing food, energy, and income. Finally, planting trees is one of the easiest and most important ways to help stave off the effects of climate change.

At The Gifted Tree, we have planted over a quarter million memorial and celebration trees since 2013, honoring both people and pets. The trees are planted in one of our over 80 planting projects in U.S. National Forests and around the world. While we provide planting project description setting out the goals of the project and the types of tree species planted, we only know the general area of the tree plantings. There is no plaque on the trees as it is not allowed. As the trees grow, the plaques would fall and end up littering the forest floor. It is also not possible to visit the trees, especially those projects which are in rugged, difficult to reach geographic areas.

The Gifted Tree’s New See My Tree Program

The Gifted Tree has partnered with EcoDrive to introduce our See My Tree program, a program that uses sophisticated GPS verification data so that one will know where their tree is planted. With GPS tracked tree planting, it is now possible to visit the trees if one is adventurous, remembering that these projects can be in remote, difficult to reach locations.

For those who are not quite as able, pictures of the plantings will be provided on the website along with periodic progress pictures added every several years so that one can “watch” the tree grow. It is important to remember that the pictures and geo coordinates will not be of one’s specific tree, but will be part of your grouping. It is also important to remember that the tree plantings only take place at special times of the year when planting is optimum for long-term growth and survivability. Thus, depending on when an order is placed, the tree planting might not take place until the next planting cycle.

The Program’s First Planting Location

The See My Tree program is starting out this spring in the forests of northern Michigan. As this blog goes to press, the tree plating is taking place. Through a combination of native tree planting and sustainable forest management, this project supports carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and local economic resilience. Primary tree species include Red Pine, White Pine, White Spruce, Northern White Cedar, and Northern Red Oak—all planted by hand across northern Michigan’s forest lands. Each species plays a unique role in habitat creation, soil stability, and long-term carbon capture. One can see more of the details of the project by clicking on its details page, https://www.thegiftedtree.com/verified-tree-planting-location-michigan/. Pictures and gps coordinates will be added soon. Furthermore, additional See My Tree program projects will be added soon in Oregon and Florida, British Columbia, and other locations around the world.

Due to the See My Tree program’s limited planting projects, it will not be for everyone, but for those who want to be able to definitively answer the question of where is my tree planted, the program will be able to provide a verifiable tree planting location along with pictures and updates. That is a very exciting addition to the services provided by The Gifted Tree.