March 21 is the International Day of Forests, which is not only a celebration of ‘the lungs of the earth’, but a reminder to all of us to actively protect and conserve our forests.
Forests play a huge role in both our natural environment and economy, and if you have used a piece of tissue or written on a piece of paper today, then you’re proof of this.
Unfortunately, according to WWF, up to 15 billion trees are being cut down every year to make space for agricultural land, infrastructure, mining and other commercial activities.
Covering almost a third of global land mass, forests are crucial to biodiversity on land; they contain 60,000 tree species and 68% of mammal species in the world. Forests are also the second largest carbon sink after the oceans – acting as shelters, reducing soil erosion and providing a buffer against natural disasters.
Wondering what you can do to supporting forest conservation? Apart from physically taking part by joining tree planting activities, here are some businesses to support that help with forest restoration:
Original Beans
Original Beans is a chocolate brand with a positive impact, and their ‘One Bar One Tree’ program plants a tree in a biodiversity hotspot every time a bar is purchased. Consumers who want to follow their impact can also use the ‘Tree Tracker’ on the back of their bars to track their tree.
Since its launch in 2010, Original Beans has planted over two million trees. On top of planting trees, the brands also ensures they are ‘climate positive’ by designing climate conscious supply chains that have a low carbon footprint. We love their ‘Femmes de Virguna 55%’ bar, because it also empowers female cacao farmers in Eastern Congo!
Learn more at originalbeans.com
Ecologi
Ecologi is an organisation that helps you ‘become climate positive for less than the cost of a cup of coffee per week’. They do this by offering a monthly subscription for individuals to offset their carbon footprint; starting from HK$48.50, individuals can plant 12 trees per month. Rest assured that Ecologi partners with tree planting partners around the world and makes sure that trees are planted properly by doing regular audits.
If you’re looking for a gift for your tree hugger partner or friend, Ecologi’s tree-planting gifts might be a good call.
Learn more at ecologi.com
Forest App
Finding it hard to focus during these challenging times? Well, there’s no better motivation to stay focused than by knowing you’ll also be doing something good for the planet. Forest App encourages you to do just that by ‘planting a tree’ whenever you set a timer on the app.
Your tree will grow during the set time, and exiting the app halfway (to scroll social media or chat with friends) will literally kill your tree. However, if you stay focused, your tree will grow and be added to your virtual collection.
The cool part is, these virtual trees can be converted into real trees through the coins that you earn on the app! Forest App has partnered with Trees for Future to plant over 1.3 million real trees to date, all while helping people focus. Sounds like a win-win scenario to us!
Learn more at forestapp.cc
Timberland
Timberland has long been at the forefront of sustainable clothing, committing to ‘make products responsibly, strengthen communities and protect and enhance the outdoors.’
Through their a ‘Plant the Change’ campaign, Timberland aims to plant 50 million trees around the world by 2025. The brand’s tree planting partners are spread around the world, from Ghana’s ‘Treedom’ to China’s ‘Green Network’.
If you have started hiking during Hong Kong’s latest Covid wave, Timberland’s GreenStride™Hiking Boots may just be one of the best investments you can make – for you and the forests.
See also: 8 Eco-friendly Hiking Accessories for Your Next Outdoor Adventure
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See also: Good News: World Leaders Promise to End Deforestation by 2030
