We’re bringing a whole new meaning to the idea of going green for St. Patrick’s Day — and you can join in on the fun! Get festive by donning One Tree Planted’s classic Reforestation tee — but this time it’s greener than ever! When you purchase your limited edition St. Patrick’s Day reforestation tee, you are also helping to support reforestation in Ireland, where we are planting 200,000 trees in 32 counties across Ireland to restore habitat for biodiversity and engage local communities in tree planting. The trees will be planted through a range of community, school and farm-led projects and will have a lasting impact for the people and wildlife that call the Emerald Isle home.
About Our Work in Ireland
According to landscape data, Ireland has the lowest forest cover of all European countries, Tree cover is just 11% here, while over 40% of all land in the 33 EU member states is wooded. To help address this, we are planting a range of certified native Irish tree species that are grown in Ireland, including oak, birch, alder, scots pine, hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, crab apple, spindle, guilder rose, and apple and other fruit trees. Due to Ireland’s unique landscape and history, we are integrating different management systems to best support the growing trees and the surrounding communities.
The goal of this project is to support native biodiversity by creating pockets of wildlife habitat that can support a range of wildlife, including insects, small mammals, amphibians, larger mammals, and birds. The trees will also benefit pollinators when they are in flower, and will produce food for wildlife, including acorns, hazelnuts, rowan berries, elderberries, crab apples, sloes, haw berries, and more. As the trees grow, they will also help to stabilize and enrich soils, reduce flooding, and improve water and air quality.
In addition to supporting native biodiversity and restoring ecosystem services, this project will benefit local communities. Our planting partner works with many community groups, including residents associations, housing associations, allotment groups, disadvantaged communities and schools, religious groups, disabled groups, and local authority coordinated groups. By including local stakeholders in the planting and maintenance process, they are fostering a sense ownership of the trees and providing environmental education.
Through volunteer work and education, local children are also involved with benefiting their community while becoming passionate about the environment. Planting trees with local youth teaches them about the benefits of trees and how to take ownership of the area through management, weeding, pruning, and more.
We are proud to work together with our planting partner to plant trees and restore forests in Ireland. You can support this important work by purchasing a limited-edition St. Patrick’s Day reforestation tee, or by choosing exactly how many trees you would like to plant for our Ireland project.