Plant trees this Earth Day

Our planet’s forests and trees are under threat and the climate crisis is worsening at an alarming rate.

Trees are vital for our planet. They provide oxygen, protect wildlife and help to mitigate the devastating effects of the climate crisis. Trees are also vital for people, providing essential food, medicines and sustainable livelihoods.

But it’s not just about planting trees, we need to ensure they survive if they are to benefit both people and planet.

That’s why we have a holistic approach that empowers communities at the forefront of the climate crisis to plant trees that thrive in their landscape while providing vital community resources, creating a lasting impact for people and the planet.

And we know that our approach works, take it from James.

James Tibemanya is part of a marginalized group and the original inhabitants of the Bwindi forest in Uganda, the Batwa. He is part of our project to plant indigenous trees to help conserve Bwindi.

“I was motivated to participate in this project because of its focus on indigenous trees that used to be our medicine, food and livelihood sources when we were still living in the forest,” said James.  “The training has equipped me with knowledge and skills of planting trees which I did not have. For us Batwa we knew trees grow by themselves but we now see the purpose of planting trees using our own hands. This makes us love them more and manage them well. I feel refreshed and reconnected to my natural world because of planting indigenous trees.”

“Now we are like kings,” Eric Tumuheirwe, Rushaga village, Uganda.

The project has planted 6,774 trees since 2020, with over 350 community members getting involved. Together they have protected and restored 15 hectares of land, that’s about 37 football pitches.

Eric Tumuheirwe, who is also a part of the project, said, “We had missed out on the species which provide medicine, food, honey and weaving materials which were very important in our lives but now we are like kings since we can access these resources at any time.”

This Earth day will you support people like James, Eric and their community to plant trees and protect our planet?

This Earth Day, double your impact for the planet as you plant trees, restore ecosystems and transform lives.

We are running our Earth Day campaign with our friends at the Big Give who will generously match your gift. That means one donation, twice the impact. Simply donate on our campaign page and make twice the impact for our planet this Earth Day.