Since 2000, the Fund has restored more than 26,000 acres of national wildlife refuge lands with more than eight million trees. As these trees mature, they are expected to trap the equivalent of more than nine million tons of CO2.
This restoration is all part of our reforestation-based carbon programs and includes our Go Zero© program, which was established in 2006 to help address two of the greatest environmental challenges of our time—habitat loss and climate change. Go Zero’s philanthropic approach to forest carbon engages foundations, companies and their customers and thousands of individuals in efforts to raise money that supports land conservation, restoration of native trees, and long-term monitoring of the impacts to climate, community and biodiversity.
Each year, Go Zero works with state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, to identify its highest priority locations for restoration at national wildlife refuge lands. After the agencies carefully select a restoration site, its biologists choose a mix of native seedlings that will help reestablish a natural ecosystem.
We are proud that five of our Go Zero projects have been validated at the gold level under the Climate, Community and Biodiversity (CCB) Standards—no other group in the nation has as many. The Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA) is a partnership between leading companies, nonprofits and research institutes seeking to promote integrated solutions to land management around the world. With this goal in mind, the CCBA has developed voluntary standards to help design and identify land management projects that simultaneously minimize climate change, support sustainable development and conserve biodiversity.
Go Zero's 2,600-acre forest carbon project at Upper Ouachita NWR in Louisiana is our fifth and largest project to receive gold level status under the CCB Standards.
Upper Ouachita received gold validation in August 2011 and was certified by Scientific Certification Systems. Planting and carbon monitoring services were provided by TerraCarbon LLC.
Learn about this project & donate today to make a difference.
Read about the gold level validation here.
Click here to download the project design document.
Go Zero donors helped plant 245,000 oak, pecan and cypress trees across 814 acres of the Lake Ophelia and Grand Cote national wildlife refuges, important stops along the migratory bird route known as the Mississippi Flyway.
Lake Ophelia and Grand Cote sites received gold validation in December 2010 and were certified by Scientific Certification Systems. Planting and carbon monitoring services were provided by TerraCarbon LLC.
Learn more about this project here.
Read the gold level validation announcement here.
Click here to download the project design document.
Mingo NWR is the site of Go Zero's millionth tree, which was planted in 2010.
Mingo received gold validation in May of 2010 and with this we became the first group in the nation to receive gold validation under the CCB Standards Second Edition. This rating was certified by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS).
Learn more about this project here.
Read the gold level validation announcement here.
Click here to download the project design document.
Thanks to our donors, Go Zero restored 776 acres of native oak and hickory trees along the Kansas side of the Marais des Cygnes NWR. As the forest matures, it is expected to trap an estimated 260,500 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The Marais des Cygnes planting received gold validation in July 2009 and was certified by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) under its SCS Greenhouse Gas Verification Program.
Learn more about this project here.
Read the gold validation announcement here.
Click here to download the project design document.
Donations to the Fund's Go Zero program resulted in 350,000 trees planted at Red River NWR, restoring more than 1,100 acres of forestland. The cypress, oak and hickory trees will remove an estimated 126,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow into a mature forest over the next 100 years.
Red River NWR received gold validation in May 2009 and was certified by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) under its SCS Greenhouse Gas Verification Program.
Learn more about this project here.
Read the gold validation announcement here.
Click here to download the project design document.
Go Zero makes it simple for individuals and many companies to measure their carbon dioxide emissions, learn helpful ways to reduce those emissions, and then offset the remainder by planting trees in protected national wildlife refuges across the nation.
To download Project Design Documents and validation certificates, please visit the CCBA project page.
Watch this great video of the recent planting at Mingo NWR which marks a major Go Zero milestone: its one millionth tree planted.
Double click video to watch full size.
Heroes of Go Zero include:
Hundreds of thousands of dedicated individuals, Accenture Supply Chain Academy, Biolage, Boss, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Cadbury Adams USA, Carfax,Inc., Cbox, Conde Nast Publications, CSX Corporation, Dell Computer Corporation, e-Blue Horizons, Emkay, Ernest Maier, Gaiam, Greif, Indianapolis Colts, International Association of Assembly Managers, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, Krypton Products LLC, Kumon University, Land Rover Portland, Lee County Board of County Commissioners, L'Oreal USA, McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, Michigan International Speedway, Molinaro Koger, Momentum Group, New Jersey Natural Gas, Organic, Inc., Philadelphia Eagles, Premiere TV, Reverb, San Diego State University, SEAT Planners Incorporated, Susquehanna Business Development, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, The North Face, Training Resources Group, Travelocity, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U-Haul International, University of Delaware, Vans, Vulcan, Way Basics, William McDonough & Partners, World Class Charters, Inc.
Learn more about our partners here.
If you would like more information about Go Zero, email Jena Meredith.
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Arlington, Virginia 22209-3199
Phone: 703-525-6300
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Email: postmaster@conservationfund.org
Heroes of Go Zero
Help Restore Upper Ouachita NWR
Go Zero Goes Gold: Our Projects Have More Gold Level Validations Than Any Group
One Million Trees Planted!
Go Wild: Go Zero Benefits Wildlife
Thank You to Biolage
Gaiam Goes Wild for Go Zero