Outdoor apparel retailer Timberland is sponsoring “Dig It,” a program established to encourage the collaboration of artists and eco activists.

Each Dig It event will consist of a day full of tree planting and concerts and the introduction of Timberland’s new eco line of products, Earthkeepers. Dig It events will take place in locations across the U.S. including Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco throughout the month of October.

Timberland hopes to plant one million trees through ongoing Dig it events by the year 2010. Dig It will receive some logistical assistance from American Forests volunteers who will plant trees along with local community volunteers and in partnership with city environmental programs and organizations.

For example, San Francisco’s Friends of the Urban Forest will send volunteers and locate opportunities for tree-planting around the city. More trees will improve local air quality, capture stormwater and carbon dioxide, and provide habitat for birds and insects. When the day is done and all the trees have been planted, Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard, The Hank Khoir, and Vince Mira will treat volunteers to an exclusive concert. Noted photographer James Balog will showcase his recent nature photography, addressing the audience about climate change. His work showcases melting glaciers and deforestation.

The Earthkeepers product line is a collection of apparel and footwear made from organic and recycled rubber, leather, cotton and wool. Shoe laces and rubber soles are made from recycled materials, while cardboard boxes are made from recycled paper and recycled again after use. Shoes are assembled using water- or soy-based adhesives, and made in a manufacturing plant powered by sun and wind. Timberland apparel travels using environmentally conscious freight services and 100 percent recycled packaging.

The Earthkeepers line keeps with Timberland’s mantra: “Our place in this world is bigger than the things we put in it. So we volunteer in our communities. Making new products goes hand in hand with making things better. That means reducing our carbon footprint and being as environmentally responsible as we can.”