Mary Kay Announces 2023 Reforestation Projects and Celebrates 15 Years of Positive Community Impact With the Arbor Day Foundation

Today, Mary Kay announced its 2023 reforestation projects in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation. This year, Mary Kay is set to celebrate its 60^th anniversary and is also celebrating a 15-year partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation.

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This year’s global reforestation projects include:

• United States
  • 80,000 trees to support rare habitat restoration and biodiversity in multiple Georgia counties. Longleaf pine was once the dominant tree species in the South, covering more than 90 million acres from Virginia to Texas. Today, longleaf pine covers less than 3% of its original range. That loss of ecosystem has been devastating to the nearly 600 animal and plant species that depend on it. Through a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation and The Nature Conservancy, longleaf and shortleaf pines will be planted across private and public lands in Georgia. As the trees grow, they will reduce forest fragmentation and support endangered and threatened wildlife like the red-cockaded woodpecker, eastern indigo snake, and gopher tortoise.
  • 12,000 trees to support wildfire recovery in the Lassen National Forest in California. The Dixie Fire ripped through Northern California for three seemingly endless months in 2021. Raging from July to October, this was the second-largest wildfire in the state’s history, with a burn scar of more than 963,000 acres. Forests devastated by wildfires can take generations to return to their former glory—if they recover at all. Because of this, urgent and intentional reforestation efforts are critical. This project focuses efforts on the health of the Lassen National Forest, home to hundreds of wildlife species and vital to the landscape's health and nearby Lake Almanor. Newly planted trees in this area will begin to reestablish habitats disrupted by the fire including homes of cougars, chipmunks, black bears, and long-toed salamanders. As the trees take root and grow into mature stands, root systems will prevent erosion while improving the water quality in Lake Almanor.
• Mexico
  • 4,000 trees to support sustainable forestry, watershed restoration, and biodiversity in Mexico’s Cerro Pelon Butterfly Sanctuary. While the storied migration and nesting of the monarch butterfly are emblematic of Mexico, this species is now facing some of the challenges most symbolic of our time. Native oyamel fir trees, where monarchs often nest, are being pushed to higher altitudes and cooler temperatures due to climate change. This, in addition to logging and clearing of land for profitable avocado trees, reduces the monarch’s nesting area and threatens the species’ shot at long-term survival. This project aims to reestablish oyamel fir cover in these areas while benefiting the local community.
• Spain
  • 4,000 trees to support wildfire recovery in Belorado, Spain. The rolling hills of Belorado are a beautiful area of northern Spain. However, these slopes have seen numerous forest fires and heatwaves over the years, making it difficult for the trees that once stood here to take root again on their own. This has given way to increased erosion of the natural landscape. Planting a diverse mix of young deciduous trees in this area will help hold the soil and make the land more resilient to climate change and fires. And for a rural area affected by rural-to-urban migration, this project will provide ongoing maintenance jobs throughout the region.

“Deforestation and climate change could cost the global economy many billions over the coming years—our hope at Mary Kay is that these projects lessen those impacts while providing valuable wildlife habitats,” said Deborah Gibbins, Chief Operating Officer at Mary Kay Inc. “These newly planted forests will grow and provide valuable resources, ecosystem services, and a lasting legacy for future generations.”

Mary Kay’s and the Arbor Day Foundation’s partnership began in 2008 and has achieved several important milestones throughout its 15-year partnership:

• In 2008, Mary Kay independent beauty consultants engaged in a recycling program where a tree was planted in a forest of need for every old compact recycled. Thanks to a national recycling effort by Independent Beauty Consultants and their customers, as well as, the Company's employees, Mary Kay exceeded the collection goal of 200,000 old compacts.
• From 2009 to 2012, Mary Kay’s partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation supported Nature Explore Classrooms in domestic violence shelters to provide residents a safe place to connect with nature.
• Beginning in 2013, Mary Kay began supporting large-scale reforestation projects around the world including the United States, Brazil, China, Germany, Ireland, Peru, and Madagascar.
• In 2018, as Mary Kay cut the ribbon on the new Richard R. Rogers Manufacturing / R&D facility in Lewisville, TX, it celebrated the achievement of planting its one-millionth tree by planting a ceremonial tree at the site.
• To date, Mary Kay and the Arbor Day Foundation have planted 1.3 million trees through its partnership and continue to work toward future impact with an additional 100,000 trees this year.

"We are so thrilled to continue this partnership by delivering large-scale impact in forests across the globe,” said Katie Loos, President of the Arbor Day Foundation. “For 15 years, Mary Kay has been devoted to providing meaningful restoration efforts in the places that need them most. Our partners in pink continue to display their green thumb through strategic reforestation projects that highlight their commitment to serving as environmental stewards for the planet.”

About Mary Kay

Then. Now. Always. One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her dream beauty brand in Texas in 1963 with one goal: to enrich women’s lives. That dream has blossomed into a global company with millions of independent sales force members in more than 35 countries. For 60 years, the Mary Kay opportunity has empowered women to define their own futures through education, mentorship, advocacy, and innovation. Mary Kay is dedicated to investing in the science behind beauty and manufacturing cutting-edge skincare, color cosmetics, nutritional supplements, and fragrances. Mary Kay believes in preserving our planet for future generations, protecting women impacted by cancer and domestic abuse, and encouraging youth to follow their dreams. Learn more at marykayglobal.com, find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or follow us on Twitter.

About the Arbor Day Foundation

Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation is the world’s largest membership nonprofit organization dedicated to planting trees. With a focus in communities and forests of greatest need, the Foundation — alongside its more than 1 million members, supporters and valued partners — has helped to plant 500 million trees in more than 50 countries. Guided by its mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees, the Arbor Day Foundation is committed to unlocking the power of trees to help solve critical issues facing people and the planet. Learn more about the impact of the Arbor Day Foundation at arborday.org.

About The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 79 countries and territories, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.

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Contact information

Mary Kay Inc.
Corporate Communications
marykay.com/newsroom
972.687.5332 or media@mkcorp.com