It all started in 2020 (which was, admittedly, a pretty wild time), during Governor Holcomb’s State of the State address. In it, he asked Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources to plant one million trees in Indiana by 2025. Well, I’ve got some amazing news, friends: not only have we reached this amazing goal, but we did it early in only the way Hoosiers can. So, let’s take a moment to appreciate the amazing spots where you can spot any (or many!) of these happy little trees.

The star of the show - a 12-foot Cucumber Magnolia tree - was grown in the Clark State Forest before being relocated to its new home: in front of the Indiana Statehouse.
Susan Frazier/Flickr
This tree is the one millionth tree planted following Governor Holcomb's eco-friendly order, and I couldn't be more excited about it.
Trees planted include red oak, white oak, bur oak, chinkapin, swamp chestnut, Shumard, pin, cherry bark oaks, and black walnut.
Keith Ewing/Flickr
They were planted in our beautiful state parks and several wildlife preserves; this move is a beautiful one, and an earnest step in the right direction.
One can simply never have enough trees.
espie (on and off)/Flickr
Back in the 1800s, humans almost altered this landscape permanently, opening large swaths of land for farming. The damage done was enormous, In 1901, it was decided that this land must not only be restored but protected to ensure that this never reoccurs.

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Planting one million trees is just the thing to continue honoring the natural legacy of our state.
Julie Falk/Flickr
Right now, things are polarized in some scary ways, but I love so much that we can all agree that planting trees is so important that we completed a five-year job in just four.
It speaks to the spirit of us as Hoosiers: we're plucky, determined, and persistent. Nothing is impossible for us.
Tom Gill/Flickr
After all, Earth is the only planet we've got... and it's up to us to make it a more beautiful place for our children.
Mike Trimble/Flickr

To learn more about this project and how we managed to blow it out of the water, check out the official Indiana Department of Natural Resources website. Thanks to Indiana DNR and the love, care, and guidance of so many others, Indiana is now home to 4.8 million acres of forestland. How amazing is that?

In what ways do you enjoy the great outdoors? If you’re a fan of hiking, you might want to check out AllTrails Plus – I have no idea how I hiked without it. It’s ridiculously convenient.

Do you have a favorite forest in Indiana? Tell me about it in the comments!

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