There are so many reasons why we decided to donate to TreeSisters and join the initiative to restore ecosystems and livelihoods whilst increasing protection against the extremes of climate change.
We are TreeSisters and TreeBrothers who are trying to make a difference.
One of TreeSisters is also Jen Stevens (Smith). Because of her feelings of love and admiration for all that TreeSisters have achieved together inspired her to write and share some of her reasons to fund trees.
These aren’t the usual ones you might expect to find on this type of list. Of course cooling the planet, protecting old growth forests, and restoring landscapes are all vital and important for the world. But, considering the times we are living in, here’s a list of the more ‘unusual’ reasons why Jen, Treesisters Social Media and Communications Manager, loves planting trees.
Hope
Perhaps it is a little airy, too vague, indeterminate, but for me, hope exactly describes how I feel when I see the tree ticker scroll upwards each month on the TreeSisters homepage. Hopeful. Despite any news articles that I read, knowing that I am planting trees every month and knowing that together we have funded over 10 million* makes me incredibly hopeful for our future.
- In July 2021 total trees funded is coming close to 20 million!
Togetherness
It may seem odd to say, but trees unite us and bring us together. Our common ground is our love for Mother Earth. In our shared goal of re-greening the world, there is strength and power. Being a treesister means something to me, it’s a part of my identity. We may not be physically together, in fact we may be oceans apart, but planting trees as part of a global community is really special. The Nest (TreeSisters online community) is a great place to connect with other treesisters. It’s where I go when I need to find other people who feel the same way about the world as I do!
Saving Lives
When we think about trees saving lives, we tend to think about trees being planted and stopping erosion or flooding. But in addition to this, when you donate to plant trees through TreeSisters, the act of planting the trees is saving lives. We work with planting partners who employ local communities to plant and look after the trees. Through this work, these communities are lifted out of poverty and are able to rely on a steady income. They can send their children to school or start their own businesses. Planting trees, saves lives!
Photo Credits: Eden ReforestationLegacy
When we look back at this time of pandemic, I have no doubt that we will see it as a pivotal point for the climate and for the future of the world. As Clare Dubois (Founder of TreeSisters) says ‘there is a reason we are alive today at this very moment’. I want to make sure I can say I did all that I could and that I contributed to a better world. Planting trees makes me feel part of creating a legacy that we can all be proud of.
Empowerment
I wrote a blog which spoke about my experience of eco-anxiety. It’s a reality that I have been facing for a while – I often feel overwhelmed and alone in the face of climate uncertainty. When I am able to name it ‘eco-anxiety’, I feel better, like I have some sort of control of these emotions inside me. Of course, one of the best tools I have when I am faced with overwhelm, is to think about the trees I have planted. These trees are my contribution to the 10 million milestone! 10 million trees; some saplings, some now standing tall up to the sky… 10 million reasons I can feel empowered and that there is something I can do, that I am doing,In the face of climate change!
A better world
This was what first drew me to TreeSisters. I remember hearing Clare Dubois say ‘what if we made giving back to Nature as normal as it currently is to take?’ In that moment I saw a flash of a vision that made me hopeful. A world in which, with every purchase, you knew you were not harming the Earth. And with every month that passed, each person knew they were growing their own forest. It might feel pretty radical to say this, but planting trees is the foundation of a better world for everyone.
So here’s to the next 10 million! I wonder how the world will look when we are celebrating the next TreeSisters milestone?
By Jen Stevens (Smith)
