Fruit Tree Planting Foundation is a cool organization to check out. Citizen Hunters know the environmental benefits to eating local food, and the trees that FTPF plants do just that, but they also help to lessen global warming's impact, alleviate hunger, and improve nutrition.

The group has planted thousands of trees and given fresh produce to drug rehab centers and homeless shelters across America as well as to families affected by emergency situations like Hurricane Katrina. The orchards they planted in Kenya and India for needy families also help to provide vegetables and fruits to local schools, orphanages, and health clinics. The foundation says their number-one priority is to help communities help themselves.

They also plant orchards to improve the lives of rescued animals on sanctuaries that provide shade and plenty of yummy pickings for a healthy diet. Check out these cute pics from one of their orchards right here in PA!

Visit the site and make a donation to help their efforts at www.ftpf.org/donation.htm and e-mail them if you want to nominate a space that would benefit from their program.

Also, check out their wish list of things they would like you to donate -- remember as tax time nears, all this stuff is tax-deductible. They are looking for small items, like books on horticulture and software programs, to medium size gifts like GPS -- or for the big players, an extra parcel of land you just can't wait to get off your hands! I found two books on planting and flowers that my grandmother got me when I bought a house in Harrisburg thinking I would have spare time to do some gardening (that never happened) and the books haven't even been opened!