Ilan Shamir, also known as Scott Alyn, is pictured here with John Denver in 1991, at the Denver Eco Expo. John and Ilan shared a mutual love of trees and celebrated the beauty of Colorado! As co-founder of Fort Collins Re-Leaf, Ilan has led hundreds of tree celebration events and ceremonies, including master of ceremonies for the 5th National Urban Forestry Conference tree planting in Los Angeles.

Planting trees is a gift for the earth and for us. We offer The Gift Of A Tree cards that will have a tree planted in honor of a special person for any occasion; a nice way to thank someone, letting a friend know you are thinking of them, birthdays, graduations, holidays, get well, and more. . . The trees are planted in protected areas to help reforest the earth. You can see the current tree site where your trees will be planted.

When I was very young, I was given a tiny Magnolia Sapling for my birthday. That tree was one of the best gifts I could have ever received and fostered a lasting appreciation for the simple things in life . . . fresh air, water and growth. My tree was much more than a stick with leaves on it, it was protective shade from the summer's sun, refreshing oxygen, home for birds, welcomed shelter from the wind and most of all a lifetime connection with my aunt and uncle that gave me that tree.

This thoughtful gift of lasting kindness encouraged me to find a way to make it easy for others to plant a tree in honor of someone or a special occasion. It's a great gift to arrive in person with a special tree for someone and plant it together, but if that isn't possible, you can still create a beautiful connection between you and the receiver with our "Gift of a Tree" program. And find out more about a wonderful tax deduction for you or your organization to replant trees for the paper you use each year.

We have books for tree planting and celebrations, great for schools or families. Full of illustrations! We include tree ceremonies, poems and the "hole" story about planting your tree. I encourage you to remember your own tree stories. Tell them around a warm dancing wood fire. Thank the tree for the heat. And plant, yes, plant and plant and plant! Give trees to children, encourage them to love the trees. Plant a tree when a child is born. Give a tree for a birthday present. Paint a tree picture. Inscribe a poem. Etch your eternal love of another by planting a tree. Go back to that spot and the tree will show you how much you have grown together. We are pleased to provide great resources and assistance to help events be meaningful for all participants.