Where Do You Plant Your Trees? These Are The Countries Where We Plant

One of the most common questions we get at tentree is simply: "where do you plant your trees?" And it's a fair question to ask! There are seven countries where we have planted trees: Madagascar, Nepal, Senegal, Cambodia, Haiti, Canada, and the United States. We are currently planting in Nepal, Madagascar, Senegal, and Haiti, with limited activities in Cambodia. These nations have experienced some of the worst impacts of deforestation. Your trees don't just help the natural environment, but they improve the lives of people around the world.

 

Haiti

Haiti is, unfortunately, best known for internal strife and natural disasters. It has suffered civil conflicts, earthquakes, and hurricanes with little relief. Deforestation has exacerbated the poor circumstances of the country, leading many not to have the resources needed to keep their homes warm and cook food.

To date, we've planted over 600,000 oak, avocado, orange, pine, and eucalyptus trees in partnership with various small villages and towns. We're working to educate people about sustainable harvesting for lumber and how to not repeat past mistakes. Many of these trees are producing additional income for families, meaning children can attend school instead of working to keep their families afloat.

 

Senegal

Senegal is a highly agrarian society, relying on farming and agriculture to make ends meet. Peanuts are one of the most commonly grown crops in the country, but it is backbreaking work that pays poorly, often leading once prosperous farmers into a life of crushing, inescapable poverty. We've partnered with over 200 farmers to plant what are called "agroforests," forests that produce fruits and vegetables, which better nourishes communities and pays farmers.

To date, we've planted over 3 million guava, papaya, and mango trees.

 If you'd like to learn more, check out our blog about Malik's forest garden in Senegal.

Nepal

Nepal is one of the poorest countries on Earth, and contributing to that is the fact that the country has lost a quarter of its forests in just 20 years. This deforestation made the impact of the 2015 earthquake considerably worse.

Working alongside our partners, we've planted thousands of trees in Nepal, particularly the mountainous areas in the Nawalparasi region, and grasslands close to Jhapa. In conjunction with planting, we're helping educate villagers on how to sustainably harvest lumber and care for their trees.

Reforesting prevents mudslides in the future from both earthquakes and rainstorms.We hope eventually that these trees will help stabilize the soil and help limit the devastating impacts of future earthquakes.

In Nepal, we plant teak, silky oak, kapok, acacia, and persian silk trees.

Madagascar

More than 80% of Madagascar's forests have been clear cut in the past few decades. Not only has that had terrible consequences for people, but many species on the island have been lost as a result. Because Madagascar is an isolated island, there are a lot of very unique species that have become endangered and extinct as the natural ecosystem has been destroyed. Desertification from deforestation threatens farmers further inland and the destruction of the coastal mangroves has made erosion from storms worse and ruined the livelihoods of fishers.

To date, we've planted millions of trees in Madagascar. These trees help counteract desertification and erosion, provide food, fuel, building materials, and jobs to locals, and restore crucial ecosystems for native species. Our hope is that, with time, we will fully restore the nation's mangrove forests and eventually reverse desertification.

Cambodia

Cambodia has, since the 1960's, struggled with severe internal conflict and rampant government corruption. Time and time again, we see that the more corrupt the government, the more the people and the environment suffer. Illegal logging has left the country's natural enviornment simply devastated, and there has been little to no international effort to help replant these forests.

But not for a lack of trying; the Cambodian government has placed serious restrictions on international organizations doing work in the country. This means our tree planting work in the country has been limited. We've partnered up with activists and Buddhist monks in doing replanting on the grounds of schools and temples around Cambodia. So far, we've planted almost 8,000 Persian silk trees.

If you'd like to learn a little more about our planting projects and see lots of photos of our nurseries, check out our planting projects page.