Origin Story, Legacy, Future Vision

Save The Rainforest, Inc. began as a biology class project in 1988 in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. Bruce Calhoun was teaching his biology class about rainforests from his firsthand experiences. The students were surprised to learn about the destruction of the rainforest that Mr. Calhoun shared with them because it was not to be found in their textbooks. They came to realize that students, teachers, the general public, and even textbook publishers were not informed about what was actually happening to rainforests. They decided to do something about it.  

For their class project, the students created an informational packet about tropical rainforests and mailed it to every high school science teacher in the United States. In the packet they asked those teachers if they wanted to join a new club called "Save The Rainforest" and receive additional information.

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TO THEIR AMAZEMENT, THEY RECEIVED OVER 10,000 POSITIVE REPLIES!

A movement was born.

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Save The Rainforest became one of the first groups to:
    • Educate about the importance of rainforests.  
    • Offer “Adopt-An-Acre” programs.
    • Help create the International Children’s Rainforest Network.
    • Take teachers and students on trips to see the rainforest first-hand.

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A relic by today's standards, The Vine was a newsletter produced in 2008: Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3, Issue 4, Issue 5, and so on. Check out the issues for a glimpse of the legacy in action.

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The legacy of Bruce Calhoun, Butch Beedle, and the early teacher and student Founders is real.

Remarkably, over 10,000 students have participated in our life-changing trips and over $500,000 has been donated to protect and rehabilitate rainforest land.

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Our vision for the future is also real.

With partnerships and a dedicated and professional staff, we aim to support indigenous youth in their quest to become the next generation of forest protectors. We have worked with the Yakum Foundation for years and are supporting their efforts to protect their rainforest in Ecuador and build cultural, medicinal and food sovereignty.

Once the pandemic subsides, we also aim to send thousands of students from all over the world on Save The Rainforest trips (the majority are which are from disadvantaged backgrounds) and protect 20,000+ more acres of vital, climate stabilizing rainforest over the next five years.

But we can't do it alone. Partner with us. Sponsor us. Donate to us.