The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

“I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues,” says The Lorax, the title character of Dr. Seuss’ classic children’s tale.

Now, with the major motion picture, The Lorax, opening in theaters across the country on March 2, 2012, all of us should “speak for the trees.”

Universal Studios has created “The Lorax Speaks" project, which encourages moviegoers to help restore one of the world's most beautiful and diverse rainforest habitats by supporting The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees campaign. Centuries ago, Brazil’s Atlantic Forest covered nearly 330 million acres, an area roughly the size of the eastern seaboard of the United States. Today only 7 percent remains, much of which is in isolated fragments.

By planting one or several trees through this campaign, you can help preserve and restore the lush, green canopy of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest which is home to 23 species of primates and 1,180 species of mammals, amphibians, reptiles and fish. With 1,000 species of birds, 200 of which are not found anywhere else on Earth, the Atlantic Forest is also considered one of the most important places for bird conservation.

Through the Lorax Speaks project, Universal is contributing $150,000 to the Plant a Billion Trees campaign, and the Dr. Seuss Estate has also provided $10,000 in support. Universal is also helping raise awareness of the message of the film through a Facebook promotion, which enables moviegoers to post and share a personal profile picture featuring a “Truffula Tree.” Through this social media effort, Universal intends to generate support and action on behalf of the trees and forests everywhere.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.”
-- Dr. Seuss, The Lorax