The specialty tea leader partners with Trees for the Future to plant more than one million trees in developing countries around the globe

BOULDER, Colo., Feb. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- By simply purchasing tea or clicking on a mouse, Celestial Seasonings(R) tea drinkers can support the planting of trees in developing countries and help promote environmental and economic sustainability around the world.

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Celestial Seasonings will sponsor the planting of more than one million trees through a new partnership with the nonprofit organization Trees for the Future. Tea drinkers can join Celestial Seasonings in planting trees in two ways: by purchasing the brand's all-natural teas between now and March 31, 2009, and by visiting www.celestialseasonings.com/trees, where they are given the exciting opportunity to participate in a free interactive program that turns "virtual trees" into reality.

"Our tree-planting program is a fun, affordable way for Celestial Seasonings tea drinkers to make a difference during trying economic times," said Peter Burns, General Manager of Celestial Seasonings. "With the help of our valued consumers and the like-minded environmental stewards at Trees for the Future, we will sponsor the planting of more than one million trees and help promote sustainability worldwide."

Online visitors to www.celestialseasonings.com/trees can plant a tree in a virtual forest generated entirely by fellow users. For each virtual tree planted, Celestial Seasonings will sponsor the planting of one real tree in a developing country by Trees for the Future. The online experience enables visitors to view the growing virtual forest of trees and watch their own tree sprout and grow. Users also discover how trees benefit the environment and economies of emerging nations by improving the quality of their water, air and soil, promoting biodiversity and generating additional income.

Visitors learn about the brand's earth-friendly practices, including the growing, harvesting and sourcing of their ingredients and the packaging of their products. Because they have worked with many of the same farmers for more than 30 years, the specialty tea leader has been able to establish sustainable harvests and support ethical trade practices. Additionally, Celestial Seasonings' use of minimal packaging, including a unique tea bag that requires no strings, tags, staples or individual wrappers, saves more than 3.5 million pounds of waste from entering landfills annually.

Since 1988, Trees for the Future has planted more than 70 million trees in Central America, Africa and Asia - helping thousands of communities improve their livelihoods and their environment. These newly planted trees remove approximately 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year.

Celestial Seasonings

Celestial Seasonings, a brand of The Hain Celestial Group, creates delicious, all-natural specialty teas that offer a variety of extraordinary tea-drinking experiences. Each of the more than 90 flavors is expertly crafted using only the highest quality 100 percent natural herbs, teas, spices and fruits to produce fresh, delicious tea. For nearly 40 years, Celestial Seasonings has blended unique and healthful herb, green, white, black, red, organic, Chai and wellness teas, each adorned with beautiful imagery and inspiring words and designed to delight your palate, nourish your body and feed your mind and spirit. For more information, visit www.celestialseasonings.com.

The Hain Celestial Group

The Hain Celestial Group (Nasdaq: HAIN), headquartered in Melville, NY, is a leading natural and organic food and personal care products company in North America and Europe. Hain Celestial participates in almost all natural food categories with well-known brands that include Celestial Seasonings(R), Terra(R), Garden of Eatin'(R), Health Valley(R), WestSoy(R), Earth's Best(R), Arrowhead Mills(R), MaraNatha(R), SunSpire(R), DeBoles(R), Hain Pure Foods(R), FreeBird(TM), Plainville Farms(R), Hollywood(R), Spectrum Naturals(R), Spectrum Essentials(R), Walnut Acres Organic(R), Imagine(R), Rice Dream(R), Soy Dream(R), Rosetto(R), Ethnic Gourmet(R), Yves Veggie Cuisine(R), Granose(R), Realeat(R), Linda McCartney(R), Daily Bread(TM), Lima(R), Grains Noirs(R), Natumi(R), JASON(R), Zia(R) Natural Skincare, Avalon Organics(R), Alba Botanica(R), Queen Helene(R), Tushies(R) and TenderCare(R). Hain Celestial has been providing "A Healthy Way of Life(TM)" since 1993. For more information, visit www.hain-celestial.com.

SOURCE The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.