National Arbor Day Foundation Receives Grant From Toyota Motor Corporation

    NEBRASKA CITY, Neb., Feb. 12 The National Arbor Day
Foundation and Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) today announced a partnership
that includes a $380,790 grant from TMC for use in continuing youth
educational programs in tree planting.
    The National Arbor Day Foundation provides environmental youth education
programs which include materials for elementary classrooms and an annual Arbor
Day National Poster Contest for fifth graders.  The Foundation plans to use
the grant funds to enhance and expand its Poster Contest and Grow Your Own
Tree! curriculum as well as develop an educational Arbor Day video.
    "The Foundation is very excited to form this partnership with Toyota Motor
Corporation," said John Rosenow, President of The National Arbor Day
Foundation.  "This generous grant will help to ensure that we continue to
educate future generations in the importance of environmental stewardship and
planting trees."
    "We are very pleased to work with The National Arbor Day Foundation," said
Veronica Pollard, vice president of external affairs for Toyota Motor North
America.  "The philosophy of the organization is a perfect complement to
Toyota's environmental beliefs and actions."
    TMC established the Toyota Environmental Activities Support Program
earlier this year in commemoration of the Corporation's receipt of the Global
500 Award in 1999 from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).  The
program is aimed at supporting environmental improvement and conservation
worldwide through promoting activities that promise to contribute to
sustainable development.  Under the program, grants are provided to practical
projects that are rooted in local communities yet maintain global viewpoints.
As one of nine organizations around the world to receive the environmental
grant, The National Arbor Day Foundation is the only recipient in the United
States.
    Founded in 1972, The National Arbor Day Foundation is a non-profit
organization established to help people plant and care for trees.  The
Foundation distributed eight million trees to its nearly one million members
in the past year.  For additional information about The National Arbor Day
Foundation, write to: The National Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue,
Nebraska City, NE  68410, call 402-474-5655 or visit http://www.arborday.org.