Get news, updates, & event Info delivered right to your inbox:
Pledge Today, Plant for the Future
On Giving Tuesday, individuals, communities, and organizations around the world come together to celebrate and encourage the act of giving back. It’s considered the international day of giving, landing on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to kick off another holiday season. People can give their thanks and start their celebrations by supporting causes they care about, and in turn, make the world just a little bit better.
Let’s face it. The holiday season isn’t simply about buying presents for those that are closest to us. It’s about giving back to people and the planet. Giving Tuesday serves as a reminder of the importance of philanthropy and helping others through simple acts of kindness.
This Giving Tuesday, give back to nature by pledging to plant trees. Why trees? Reforestation is one of the best ways to restore ecosystems that have been degraded and deforested. When you support reforestation, you are making it possible for our planting partners, who have dedicated their lives to restoring the landscapes they love, to do what they do best: plant trees where they are needed the most.
Let’s go over a few reasons why planting trees is such a powerful way to give back to people and the planet this Giving Tuesday!
1. Trees Clean the Air
Trees provide us and wildlife with oxygen to inhale into our lungs and stay healthy. One mature tree can sequester up to 22 pounds of carbon a year, and forests absorb one third of fossil fuel emissions every year! Give the gift of clean air this Giving Tuesday!
2. Trees Create Habitat for Wildlife
80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity is found in forests, including plants, animals, and fungi — all of which rely on both the forest and each other to survive. Beyond that, many people around the world still rely on forest resources for their basic needs.
3. Trees Clean Water
Water is a fundamental requirement for survival. Trees are a vital part of Earth’s water cycle, and they also filter water through their roots, removing pollutants so that our aquifers and watersheds have a cleaner input. Trees also help reduce water flow when it is not desired, such as by creating a natural barrier in coastal areas to reduce the amount of sediment-filled stormwater that reaches watersheds and damages properties.
4. Trees Provide Job Opportunities
Many people today rely on nature for their livelihoods. In fact, an estimated 1.6 billion people rely on forest resources as a way to make a living. That’s roughly 1 out of 5 people alive today. Land restoration practices such as agroforestry provide sustainable job opportunities to surrounding communities — and when managed sustainably, forests can also provide resources that meet global demands for materials.
5. Trees Grow Food to Eat
A lot of our food comes right from trees! According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, almost 50% of fruit is produced from trees. Furthermore, trees help maintain the health and balance of other agricultural crops by creating shade and adding nutrients to the soil, protecting the land from mudslides and desertification, and creating a water cycle that supports the local micro-climate. Around the world, food scarcity is an ever-present issue. This Giving Tuesday, plant trees to improve nutrition and food security for communities around the world.
6. Trees Supply Resources to Communities
Have you ever thought about where your medicine comes from? 25% of key ingredients of medicine grow in forests! For example, aspirin comes from tree bark. The bark of the willow tree is also used as a pain reliever. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
7. Trees Improve Mental Health
Beyond the physical resources that nature provides, there is a natural connection that we as living beings on the planet have with nature. There are countless studies about how immersing yourself in nature is good for your body, mind, and soul. Simply spending time outside with trees has been proven to help reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve mood. Giving Tuesday is all about helping those around us. With everyday stressors of life always present, planting trees is a simple way to help people find reprieve.
By choosing to plant trees on Giving Tuesday, you are making a positive contribution to the environment, addressing climate change, and promoting sustainable practices that benefit both present and future generations. It’s a tangible and impactful way to give back to the planet and everyone who lives on it.
Give back to nature this Giving Tuesday –– make your pledge to plant trees with One Tree Planted!