Tree Planting
Eden Reforestation Projects is a globally focused charity with one of the best track records for planting trees and supporting local communities to avoid deforestation in the developing world. They seek to not only have a positive environmental impact but also a positive human impact, supporting communities and decreasing the extreme poverty that often lies behind harmful deforestation practises. Find out more >
Eden Reforestation Projects is one of the most effective ways of planting trees across the developing world. Their saplings have an 80% survival rate meaning that most of the trees planted go on to mature into effective forests, removing carbon from the atmosphere and contributing positively to climate change. Like so many forestry projects Eden's true focus is in supporting local communities to give them viable alternatives to deforesting their land along with incentivising new tree plantation. This means they are addressing not just the effect but also the root cause of the issue.
Deforestation is a global phenomenon caused by a variety of factors. These factors range from large-scale slash and burn practices to unsustainable agriculture to daily community forest destruction. The regions most impacted by deforestation are highly poverty-stricken and underdeveloped areas. With few options to support their families, often members of impoverished communities are forced to destroy their local environment to survive, such as cutting down trees for construction, fuel, heat, and agricultural purposes. While this solves a short-term problem, long-term consequences arise when forests are cut down and not restored. The impact of deforestation is dramatic because it causes severe flooding, erosion, and desertification. The long-term effects of deforestation lead to even worse environmental devastation. We start by hiring local people to plant trees. This gives them a fair and consistent income so they can provide for their families. As the reforestation effort goes on, healthy forests begin to emerge, and all the harmful effects of deforestation begin to disappear.