To many music fans, the bestselling lounge/world music ensemble Pink Martini is the pride of Portland. But to Pink Martini vocalist extraordinaire China Forbes, the pride of Portland may in fact be the city’s celebrated tree canopy.
Forbes will appear in a Friends of Trees ad in the Sept. 7 issue of the Sunday Oregonian, in which she endorses tree planting as a way to promote quality of life. “There’s something magical about a tree-lined street,” Forbes is quoted in the ad. “The way it dapples the light and provides shade uplifts my spirit. That is why, with the help of Friends of Trees, I planted two Japanese Snowbells in front of my old house. The more trees the better!”
Earlier this summer, Pink Martini donated $16,615 – or one-fourth of the proceeds from a series of benefit concerts – to Friends of Trees. The organization, which supports planting trees along streets and in natural areas, enjoyed another boost in July, courtesy of the popular alternative rock band the Foo Fighters.