What Green Forests Work does

Green Forests Work (GFW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, founded in 2009 by Dr. Christopher Barton to restore healthy and productive forests on formerly mined lands in Appalachia and beyond. The organization operates on a modified version of the Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA) developed through the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI), executing a five-step protocol: site securing, invasive vegetation removal with 3-4 foot soil cross-ripping to mitigate compaction, native tree and shrub selection, planting at 8'x8' spacing (~680 trees/acre), and post-planting survival monitoring. As of 2026, GFW reports planting over 8.5 million trees across more than 16,000 acres, with over 1,000,000 trees planted in 2026 alone, and has engaged over 25,000 volunteers.

The organization's service portfolio centers on four offerings: direct reforestation services using FRA, a publicly accessible Project Locator Mapping Tool that visualizes potential reforestation sites by watershed, landowner, state, and county, organized volunteer tree planting events (including recurring plantings at Flight 93 National Memorial and Monongahela National Forest), and a landowner reforestation program for private property owners. Key ecosystem partners include federal agencies such as USDA Forest Service, the Department of the Interior / National Park Service, and OSMRE; large environmental NGOs including The Nature Conservancy, American Forests, Conservation International, and the Arbor Day Foundation; corporate partners such as Komatsu, Beam Suntory, Angel's Envy, and Suntory Global Spirits; and the University of Kentucky, where the founder holds a faculty appointment.

GFW is donation- and grant-funded rather than revenue-generating, with contributions received via PayPal, mailed checks, and community giving programs such as Kroger Community Rewards. Funders include the Appalachian Regional Commission, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Central Appalachian Habitat Steward Program, the Blue Grass Community Foundation, and a broad base of individual donors. The organization is independently governed by a seven-member Board of Directors, holds a 4-star Charity Navigator rating and a 2026 Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid/GuideStar, and operates as a staff of approximately 7-8 led by a Founder/President, Director of Operations, Director of Marketing and Communications, two Reforestation Coordinators, a Mined Land Reforestation Specialist, and a Wildlife and Conservation Specialist.

Name

Green Forests Work

Legal name

Green Forests Work

Website

https://greenforestswork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Green Forests Work is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that restores forests on formerly mined lands across Appalachia using a modified Forestry Reclamation Approach, having planted over 8.5 million trees across 16,000 acres via volunteer events, agency partnerships, and corporate support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forest Restoration Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Support Activities for Forestry (115310)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Mine Land & Brownfield Reclamation Planting (AFAMACAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tree Planting & Establishment Services (Manual/Mechanized) (AFAMACAE), Reforestation & Afforestation Services (Planting, Site Prep, Regeneration) (IMAMAAAE), Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD), Forestry & Ecosystem Carbon Removal (Afforestation/Reforestation, Improved Forest Management) (EUABAFAH), Silviculture & Reforestation Services (Nurseries, Planting, Tending) (IMAMAJAC)

Keywords

• Mine land reforestation
• Forest restoration services
• Ecological restoration
• Tree planting services
• Watershed rehabilitation

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Revenue generated through individual and corporate donations via PayPal, mailed checks, and community giving programs like Kroger Community Rewards. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with EIN 46-1296612.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Green Forests Work restores healthy and productive native hardwood forests on formerly surface-mined lands in Appalachia using a modified Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA). Core services include site assessment, invasive species removal, deep-ripping of compacted soils, native tree planting at high density (~680 trees/acre), and post-planting monitoring, delivered to federal/state agencies and private landowners. The organization also operates a Project Locator Mapping Tool for geographic visualization of reforestation sites and coordinates large-scale volunteer planting events.

Product overview

Green Forests Work operates as a single, unified nonprofit reforestation program focused on restoring healthy and productive forests on formerly mined lands in Appalachia. The organization's core offerings center on direct reforestation services using a modified Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA), supported by a Project Locator Mapping Tool for geographic project visualization. Additional services include organized Volunteer Tree Planting Events and a Landowner Reforestation Program that provides property owners pathways to participate in forest restoration. The organization does not operate a traditional SaaS platform but rather delivers hands-on ecological restoration services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Reforestation Services End-to-end forest restoration services for public agencies and private landowners on former surface mine lands, including invasive species removal, deep soil ripping, native tree and shrub planting at ~680 trees/acre, and post-planting survival and growth monitoring. Designed to convert compacted, non-productive reclaimed grasslands into native hardwood forests that deliver carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, water quality, and timber benefits.
• Project Locator Mapping Tool Interactive geographic information tool that allows users to view attributes of mined lands and identify potential reforestation project areas across Appalachia. Provides watershed, landowner, state, and county layers to support partner agencies, landowners, and donors in locating restoration opportunities.
• Volunteer Tree Planting Events Structured volunteer programs offering community members and corporate teams opportunities to participate in tree planting on mine lands, including annual plantings at Flight 93 National Memorial and Monongahela National Forest. Designed to engage individuals and corporate partners in hands-on environmental stewardship.
• Landowner Reforestation Program Direct program for private landowners with former mine properties to apply for reforestation assistance, delivering benefits including increased land value, improved hunting grounds, potential revenue from hunting leases and carbon rights, timber value, and honey production opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 8.5 million trees planted since 2009
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arbor Day FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Arbor Day Foundation has continuously provided trees and financial support for Green Forests Work reforestation projects.
• US DOI OSMRE, ARRIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI) collaborators developed the idea for GFW. ARRI provides technical support for GFW at reforestation events. The Forestry Reclamation Approach originated from ARRI.
• 1t.orgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner1t.org aims to help the reforestation community conserve, restore and grow one trillion trees by 2030. Green Forests Work has pledged to restore 5 million trees on surface mined lands.
• The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPotentially blight-resistant American chestnuts developed by TACF are being planted with other high-value hardwood tree species in GFW reforestation projects.
• USDA Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Forest Service has continuously provided trees and both technical and financial support to GFW for restoration projects on national forests.
• KomatsucoreGTM or Marketing PartnerKomatsu, a global leader in forestry, mining, and construction equipment, has partnered with GFW for employee volunteer tree plantings. Over 600,000 trees have been planted through this partnership.
• Conservation InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation International has worked since 1987 to improve lives of people everywhere through environmental conservation.
• American ForestscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican Forests creates healthy and resilient forests that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water and wildlife.
• Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Nature Conservancy works on forest restoration and conservation, including reforestation of surface mine lands in Appalachia.
• DOI, National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGFW partners with NPS to offer annual volunteer reforestation events at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania.
• University of Kentucky (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK's Research Foundation has allowed GFW to pursue its mission while growing into a bigger organization. GFW founder Dr. Chris Barton is a professor at UK.
• Pennsylvania Game CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for enhancement of forested areas under threat from invasive species through underplantings on Pennsylvania State Game Lands.
• One Tree PlantedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne Tree Planted is supporting reforestation efforts in Appalachia through funding and promotion.
• Appalachian Conservation CorpsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerService organization providing conservation Corps members for reforestation work.
• American Bird ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerABC has advocated the reforestation of surface mines as an effective conservation technique to benefit migratory songbirds.
• Beam SuntoryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting reforestation efforts through employee volunteer programs.
• Angel's EnvyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered with Angel's Envy as part of their #ToastTheTrees Campaign that aids in White Oak restoration.
• Suntory Global SpiritsminorGTM or Marketing Partner80 volunteers from Suntory Global Spirits planted 7,000 trees in Central Appalachian Mountains for annual tree-planting event.
• CASRI / Red Spruce Restoration InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRestoring historic red spruce-northern hardwood ecosystems in West Virginia through collaborative efforts.
• Coal Country BeeworksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGFW is partnering with Coal Country Beeworks to make plantings more pollinator-friendly.
• US EPAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental protection agency partner for mine land restoration efforts.
• WV Highlands ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization dedicated to preserving West Virginia's natural environment.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI): The U.S. OSMRE-coordinated initiative that developed the Forestry Reclamation Approach and from which GFW was born. Functions as the technical/standards backbone for the sector and a coordination body; not a fundraising competitor but a key ecosystem participant whose strategy directly shapes GFW's playing field.

Broad incumbents

• American Forests: One of the oldest U.S. reforestation NGOs; operates a national reforestation program, policy advocacy, and reforestation science. Listed as a core strategic partner of GFW and competes for the same federal, foundation, and corporate ESG dollars across multiple U.S. regions.
• Conservation International: Global conservation NGO with large forest restoration programs and active corporate ESG partnership channels. Listed as a GFW partner. Comparable in donor-base competition and corporate ESG engagement, though at vastly larger scale and broader geographic scope.
• The Nature Conservancy: Among the world's largest conservation NGOs with active forest restoration in Appalachia (Briana Snyder previously led landscape-scale restoration there). A GFW core partner, but at far greater scale and across multiple ecosystems, making it a peer for forest restoration funding and capability comparison.

Regional players

• American Bird Conservancy: Wildlife-focused NGO that has explicitly advocated surface mine reforestation for migratory songbirds and works with GFW. Comparable as a niche restoration funder and policy advocate in Appalachia, with overlapping donor pools.
• The American Chestnut Foundation: Species-restoration nonprofit whose potentially blight-resistant American chestnuts are being planted alongside other hardwoods in GFW projects; a GFW partner. Comparable as a specialized Appalachian restoration actor with shared government/university relationships.

Direct peers

• One Tree Planted: Donation-driven reforestation nonprofit that plants trees globally and is itself a GFW partner. Closely comparable model: small core team, donation/partner-funded, volunteer-mobilized, multi-state reforestation footprint with Appalachian projects.
• Arbor Day Foundation: National tree-planting nonprofit that continuously supplies trees and financial support to GFW and runs its own community reforestation programs nationally. Directly comparable on mission (large-scale tree planting), volunteer mobilization model, and donor base.

Emerging players

• Pachama: Marketplace and MRV platform for nature-based carbon credits including afforestation/reforestation projects. Relevant as a potential channel/distribution layer for monetizing verified tree plantings, and as the technology-enabled player shaping how GFW-class restoration work is priced and bought.
• New Forests: Forestry investment and carbon project developer operating in Australia and the U.S. Relevant because GFW's recent Queensland expansion via CSIRO puts it adjacent to this market; comparable in linking reforestation to corporate/ESG capital, though New Forests is asset-manager scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgVYSUC09MxFnrBTaVpHGgQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/Greenforestswork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/green-forests-work
• Instagraminstagram.com/greenforestswork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Green Forests Work