Retree.com was started as a family project as a simple way for ordinary people to make an impact, one tree at a time.
The goal of retree.com is very simple – to plant 1 million trees every year. While we may not be able to personally plant trees around the world, we can still make a positive impact by supporting those that have the resources to do so.
While watching the news with his family in 2013, David Tobias came across a story about an intense fire in Northern California. The anchor was talking about the hundreds of thousands of acres that had been destroyed by wildfire. In the background, there was an inferno of trees ablaze. David’s then 5-year-old daughter started asking curious questions about trees – how long it would take for one to grow, how big was an acre, etc. She asked one question that David could not answer: Who replants the trees after they burn down?
After that experience, the Tobias family started noticing the trees around the neighborhood and paid more attention to news stories about fires, commercialization, depletion of the rain forest in the Amazon, and how big of an impact trees have on our environment, especially as it relates to climate change. They thought about how their lives would change if the trees all around their neighborhood were cut down. David explains,
“What if the ONE big tree in our front yard was destroyed – it would impact our family immensely. So if one tree destroyed can impact our family so much, can we make an impact if we plant ONE tree? I knew the answer to this question – Yes!”
By creating a network of partners who have the planting knowledge and boots on the ground in over 30 countries around the world, retree.com has become the pathway for ordinary people to make an impact on the climate and local communities in need.
For every tree you choose to plant via the website, retree.com will plant one more somewhere in the world for free. You can check out their Plant-a-Tree interactive map to see the over 30 active planting countries in need of our help.
Retree.com makes giving and contributing to earth’s health completely personal. Anyone can choose the area that they’d like to see benefit from their donation and understand how they are making an impact. The goal is to plant 1 million trees in 2016. Will you help make that happen?
Each Friday, the another jennifer blog shares stories of those who incorporate philanthropy into their everyday lives – personally and professionally – in a creative and unique way. If you have a story you’d like to share, please contact Jennifer.
