The Green Room

Before Chicago was Chicago, birds, fish and wildlife knew it was a great place to call home.

The same can be said about many major American cities, where, interspersed among big buildings and busy streets, are some of the nation’s most important lands and natural resources.

Aerial view of the Anacostia River

Today, 300 acres of land will be added to the Acres for America program, preserving areas in Chicago; Bridgeport, Conn.; Portland, Ore.; San Diego; and Washington, D.C. The Arbor Day expansion announcement includes restoration of marshland in Chicago; improvements to urban ecosystems such as a fish ladder in Bridgeport; re-establishment of native vegetation in Portland; and restoration of the Otay Delta for birds and residents of San Diego.

Outdoor recreation is one focus of the Anacostia River Revitalization Fund, which is receiving a grant through the Acres for America program.

Walmart’s Acres for America partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Association helps preserve open space and natural resources by securing one acre of U.S. wildlife habitat for every acre of land developed by the company. Acres for America has invested in projects in 25 states and the District of Columbia, protecting nearly 680,000 acres. Earlier this year, the program added sites in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina and Tennessee.

Restoring native vegetation in the Nyberg Creek Wetland in Portland, Ore., will benefit fish and birds in the Tualatin River system.

Walmart is also awarding a grant to the recently created Anacostia River Revitalization Fund in our nation’s capital, which helps improve water quality and provide outdoor recreation opportunities, among other projects.

Acres for America was started with a goal of having 138,000 acres in the program by 2015. That amount was quickly reached and continues to multiply. Here’s a look at projects that are in progress now.