My day planting trees on Cheat Mountain with Green Forests Work was an amazing experience. My grandparents got engaged on this mountain in the early 1950s, so this area has a very special place in my family's history. Although the work was very physically demanding, it was extremely rewarding to know that even my small effort of planting one hundred or so trees that day will help return the land to a red spruce forest. The natural beauty of this area is spectacular yet the remaining scars of mining activity remind us that we have an obligation to help the land recover. I hope these reforestation efforts will continue on Cheat Mountain and other former surface mines in West Virginia. I look forward to volunteering again at future tree plantings."

I volunteered for the Flight 93 tree planting because the crash and events on that day are some of the most important historical events in our history. I am so happy with the experience I received from planting trees with people from all over with different stories. A woman who lost her husband on the flight, and a woman who was friends with someone on the flight, were in my group. Knowing that the planting we participated in helped the families and friends of Flight 93 cope with their losses was such an amazing experience, and I cannot wait to go back next year and do all the hard work again.”