There's an old saying that the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, and the second-best time is today. We like that idea. It's also a pretty good description of learning: you rarely see the full result on the day you start, but you start anyway, because you trust what it will become.
So we're starting. This fall, Learn Tourism launched We Grow Together, a tree-planting initiative that turns appreciation into something living, rooted, and lasting.
We Grow Together is Learn Tourism's tree-planting program. We plant trees for three reasons:
When we plant in someone's honor, we let them know with a personal note explaining why. Because the most meaningful part of any gift is the "why."
Fair question. We're an education organization, not a forestry agency.
But tourism has always depended on places worth visiting, and on the people who care for them. Forests are trailheads, scenic drives, campgrounds, watersheds, and the backdrop to countless visitor experiences. They're also part of the economic and emotional fabric of the communities that host those visitors.
Destination stewardship isn't something that happens in a strategic plan. It happens when people take small, concrete actions that add up. We teach that idea every day. We Grow Together is our way of practicing it, too.
It also fits our commitment to sustainability and to showing up as a good civic neighbor, not just a training provider.
For our first We Grow Together project, we've partnered with Scouts to plant saplings.
We couldn't think of a better place to start. Scouting has been teaching young people to "leave no trace" and to leave places better than they found them for generations. That's destination stewardship in its purest form, taught early and learned by doing.
And that last part matters to us. At Learn Tourism, we believe the most powerful learning is active: hands in the dirt, not eyes on a slide deck. A Scout who plants a tree and comes back years later to see it standing tall has learned something no lecture could teach. They've learned that their actions have a long tail, and that caring for a place is a responsibility shared by everyone who loves it.
That's the kind of learner we want this industry to be full of. Some of today's Scouts will be tomorrow's park rangers, destination managers, hoteliers, and community leaders. We're glad to plant alongside them.
As We Grow Together grows, our planting priority is clear: national forests where the need for trees is greatest.
That need is real, and it's large. The USDA Forest Service estimates a backlog of at least 4 million acres of national forest land needing reforestation, and that number has grown due to recent severe wildfires. According to the Forest Service, wildfire accounted for 81% of reforestation needs as of the end of fiscal year 2021.
Some of those burned areas will recover on their own. Many won't, at least not for decades. The Forest Service's reforestation specialists focus on exactly those places: land that is unlikely to regrow naturally, assessed by local ecosystem needs, tree species, and the odds a seedling will survive in changing conditions.
That's where we want our trees to go. Not where it's easiest or most photogenic, but where a new tree makes the biggest difference for the land, the wildlife, and the communities and visitors who depend on these forests.
Here's the part that makes us proud tourism nerds.
Every tree we plant is a small reminder of how learning works. You plant something before you know exactly how it will turn out. You tend it. Other people benefit from it, often people you'll never meet. And eventually it outgrows the moment you planted it.
That's what happens when a frontline employee learns to welcome visitors with confidence, or when a community leader finally sees how tourism connects to the place they love. The growth doesn't stop when the training ends. It keeps going.
We Grow Together is simply that idea, made visible.
We Grow Together is Learn Tourism's tree-planting program. We plant trees to thank partners, celebrate milestones, and honor people who make a difference in tourism and in our work.
Our first We Grow Together project is a partnership with Scouts, who are planting saplings as part of a hands-on stewardship and civic engagement experience.
We prioritize national forests with the greatest need for reforestation, especially areas affected by wildfire that are unlikely to regrow on their own.
Tourism depends on healthy places and engaged communities. Planting trees is a practical way to model destination stewardship, support responsible tourism, and help young people learn by doing.
At Learn Tourism, we believe every destination is in the business of learning, and that the best lessons keep growing long after they begin. Want to bring stewardship, community engagement, and hands-on learning to your team or destination? Let's talk.