Tree-Land Foundation, Inc. - 501(c)(3) Not-For-Profit Public Charity, FEIN 52-1926101
Our Rural Legacy
The Foundation’s creators, Bob Martin and Charles Klein were instrumental in the implementation of Maryland’s pioneering Rural Legacy Program. This state-wide initiative dedicated funds for the purchase of land development easements from owners of rural properties to protect that land from future development and preserve “green spaces” for future generations. The uniqueness of Tree-Land’s contributions to Frederick County’s grant proposal resulted in an additional $1.25 million dollars being granted to the County for land conservation and preservation.
One America program
The Foundation expanded its local environmental education efforts and created the ONE AMERICA Program to bring together young people from different American cultures and provide them with international travel and environmental education opportunities. From 1998 till 2012, ONE AMERICA took more than a dozen U.S. high school and college-age youth and adult groups to Mexico to live among and work with indigenous Maya people on community volunteer environmental, health, and cultural projects.
Our Land
Tree-Land Foundation owns and maintains 60 acres of undeveloped rural property in Myersville, Frederick County, Maryland. It is a registered forest conservation area and made available at no cost to youth groups (like Scouts). Some Tree-Land funding was derived through the transfer of forest conservation easements to real estate developers under the auspices of the Maryland Forest Resource Ordinance Act.
If you're interested in using or reserving our land for some purpose, please contact us at the email address at the top or bottom of this page.
Scouts
Tree-Land’s property has been used for "primitive camping" by thousands of youth and been the site for dozens of Foundation-funded Eagle Scout Projects. These projects have reforested many acres of open pasture, created nature trails, campsites, etc. Tree-Land also has awarded thousands of dollars in college scholarships to Eagle Scouts in the Frederick County area.
Global re-vision network
The most impactful of Tree-Land Foundation's Programs is the GLOBAL re-VISION Network which funds, provisions, and has established charitable vision clinics that quickly and accurately provide free, recycled eyeglasses to people in need. Since the first clinic was opened in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico on Feb. 1, 2007, nine additional clinics have been opened in Mexico, Haiti, and the U.S. In our first 20 years, we have conserved and recycled more than 750,000 pairs of used, prescription eyeglasses and, thus far, have provided free eyeglasses to between 100,000 and 200,000 underserved people.