The Build Green New Mexico program is a voluntary program adopted by builders and homeowners.

“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is now.” – An Ancient Asian Proverb

The benefits of trees and their contributions to our environment are significant and surprisingly varied:

• Aside from releasing huge amounts of oxygen back into our skies, an acre of trees absorbs enough CO2 to off-set 26,000 miles travelled in your car.

• Trees absorb odors and pollutant gases, including nitrogen, oxides, ammonia, sulphur dioxide and ozone and traps them in their leaves and bark.

• Trees cool our streets and the city by at least 10 degrees to help mitigate the Heat Island Effects we are all exposed to. In addition it releases water vapor into the air through their leaves.

• Three trees placed strategically around your home can cut summer air conditioning needs by up to 50%. By reducing the energy demand for cooling our houses we reduce carbon dioxide and other pollution emissions from power plants.

• Shade from trees slows water evaporation from thirsty lawns saving us millions of gallons each year.

• Trees reduce runoff by breaking rainfall, allowing the water to flow down the trunk and into the earth below the tree. This prevents storm water from carrying pollutants to our rivers.

• On hillsides and slopes, trees slow runoff and hold soil in place thereby reducing soil erosion.

• Trees can reduce our exposure to UV-B by about 50% which ultimately might save us from skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in the United States.

• Trees are a signifiant source of food. A single apple tree can yield up to 15-20 bushels of fruit per year and can be planted on the smallest urban lot.

• Studies have shown that patients with views of trees heal faster and have fewer complications. Children with ADHD show fewer symptoms when they have access to nature. Trees and nature have been shown to improve our ability to concentrate  and increase our overall happiness.

• Neighborhoods and homes that are barren have shown to have greater incidence of violence in and out of the home than their greener counterparts. Trees and landscaping can help reduce the level of fear.

• Trees mark, and help us celebrate, the seasons.

• Fruit from community orchards can be sold, thereby providing income for the less-fortunate. Planting, caring for, and harvesting trees represent opportunities for good-paying jobs.

• Tree plantings provide an opportunity for community involvement that improves the quality of life in our neighborhoods. Tree plantings can be unifying and rewarding experiences for everyone, and help establish a neighborhood’s identity and encourage civic pride.

• Trees are great buffers of hard surfaces like block walls or parking lots. They muffle sound from nearby streets and freeways, and soften the overall look of an area. Additionally, they absorb dust and wind and reduce high-altitude sun glare.

• The beauty of a well-planted property along with its surrounding area can raise property values by as much as 15%, and it’s been shown that business areas with landscaping and trees do substantially better than those without.

“We must protect the forests for our children, grandchildren and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can’t speak for themselves…the birds, the animals and the trees themselves.” – Qwatsinas of the Nuxalk Nation

Current Projects & Programs

• Creating easy and beneficial ways for homeowners to make their homes more energy-efficient and healthier places to live.
• Helping find and implement innovative tree canopy and green space solutions to reduce the significant negative impact from heat island effects in cities.
• Finding innovative ways to provide energy-efficient and affordable housing for the families of our work force.
• Helping develop creative and effective ways to enrich people’s experience of their downtowns and urban-core areas.

The Foundation For Building is committed to building sustainable and affordable communities through broad-based support to a wide-variety of organizations and programs. The following is just a partial list of programs we have supported in recent years:

• ABQ Heading Home
• Downtown Growers Market
• Tree New Mexico
• Saranam
• The Barrett House
• Women’s Housing Coalition
• Three Sisters Kitchen
• AgriCultura Network
• Jewish Community Center of Greater Albuquerque
• The New Mexico Humanitarian Awards
• ABQ Downtown Main Street
• Somos Albuquerque
• NM Appleseed