If you missed the first year of #BecomeOneOfTheMillion, where we supported international reforestation and got the Tentsile Tribe involved through Tentsile Camp Outs, The Big Canopy Campout, and International Day of Forests, here’s a quick update:
Tentsile has set the challenge to plant ONE MILLION TREES worldwide in five years!
2018 marks the second year of this exciting challenge. Our current total? Drum roll, please…. 165, 841 trees planted!*
Through social media and new technology, people are becoming more aware of the plight of the environment - and not a second too late. The earth loses upwards of 32.5 million acres (13 million hectares) of forest per year. Which, to you and me sitting at home, looks roughly like 4 American Football fields full of trees disappearing every 5 seconds.[i] In the environmental world there are plenty of negatives to report, but just for today, we want to share what your 165,000 trees have done to help the planet, and what 1 MILLION could possibly achieve. Trust us, it’s pretty amazing what trees can do!
Thanks to our tree planting partners, WeForest, Eden Projects and The Arbor Day Foundation, we’re able to keep on top of this data. Tentsile supports planting projects across Zambia, India, Madagascar and the USA and that means there’s plenty of progress happening. For example, did you know that each of the Tentsile trees planted in Zambia alone has the capacity to absorb 137,198 tons of CO2, that’s roughly equal to 14,000 European’s annual carbon footprint.[ii] Incredible!
Plus, 165,000 trees includes over 100 different species, native to each of our international projects. A number of NEW species were identified last year, one of which ‘Uapaca Sansibarica’, even provides an edible fruit for local people - tasty! We learned that reforestation effects more than just the number of trees too: insects, animals and local communities can all benefit. In Madagascar, there are over 200,000 different types of plants and animals that don’t exist anywhere else in the world. Trees planted through our trusted partners help to create a protected habitat for several endangered species.
To make sure our tree planting sites stay protected and trees reach full maturity, WeForest and Eden Projects work with a strong team of locals. So far around 3000 people[iii], including paid farmers, volunteers, local men, and women are involved in these reforestation efforts. According to Eden Projects, nearly 1.5 million work days have been created in Madagascar alone! Forestry training, free beehives to generate income and subsidized wood stoves all help to keep communities motivated.
To reach our goal of 1 million trees in 5 years, Tentsile has to plant a massive 250,000 trees in 2018. That’s an area the size of 2000 football fields! By planting 18 trees for every tree tent sold it’ll be difficult, but thanks to all of you, our amazing Tentsile Tribe, we might actually make it happen…
Watch this space for more exciting tree planting news. This year marks an even bigger, better push for a greener planet!
CLICK HERE TO DONATE TREES NOW
*Our tree planting figure continues to grow. Continue reading our #BecomeOneOfTheMillion blogs, and follow us online to find out the latest tree planting count, as we get closer to our 1 million tree target...
Header photo credit: Eden Reforestation Projects
[i] United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Report (2005)
An American Football field measures 1.32 acres (0.53 ha)
[ii] WeForest, Zambia November Report 2017
When trees reach maturity after 20 years, assuming the average annual carbon footprint of one European is an equivalent of 10 tons of CO2.
[iii] WeForest: 756 people engaged in Zambia projects / 1607 people directly engaged in India
Eden Projects: 320 Villagers employed
The Arbor Day Foundation: 131,680 homeowners engaged in Energy Saving Trees, Community Canopy Project
