When we began this Wildfire campaign, we were already aware of the destructive impacts of seasonal wildfires—how our current climate crisis is fueling the flames in our very own backyard. While we are grateful for the success of 530,000 comments—more than surpassing our goal to plant trees in British Columbia and California, but with the recent news of the wildfires in the Amazonian rainforests, our celebrations have been subdued.
The Amazon Rainforest produces 20% of the entire planet’s supply of oxygen, it teems with such diverse wildlife, we can only hope to see a fraction of one day. tentree, as a company, may be centred around tree-planting, but our planet’s humanity draws breath from our rainforests, and right now it is burning away. Therefore, while we THANK YOU for making our Wildfire campaign an incredible success, we are moving your focus and efforts to the Amazon.
We are proud and happy to announce tentree is donating $10,000 to reforest and protect the Amazon rainforests. But all we ask is for you—all 530,000 of you—to continue to rally your voices to keep our rainforests alive. Our planet is burning, the time for action is now.
We need nature. We need trees. It has thanklessly given us life for generations, it is up to us to protect them for the future to come. Time to speak up, and make every breath count.
As climate change intensifies, wildfires will continue to spread, grow, and burn, destroying thousands of acres of forests each year. We think it’s time for some releaf.
The facts
Humans are changing the atmosphere. Everything from our cars to air travel to the way we heat our homes is adding carbon dioxide to the air. When carbon dioxide is present in our atmosphere at levels above 350 parts per million (PPM), global warming occurs. In 2017, we reached 405 PPM. This change in our climate causes hotter, drier summers. These conditions are perfect for wildfires to flourish.
Not only are there more fires occurring each year, but these fires are burning larger areas of land, and the annual burn season is longer. In Canada and the United States just 40 years ago, the burn season was 5 months. Today, it is 7 months, or longer!
Replanting a burned area is not always as straight-forward as you might think. Preparing a burned area for reforestation takes years. There are a multitude of factors to take into consideration, like soil recovery and erosion. Truthfully, there isn’t a set timeline for reforestation. Our non-profit partner, One Tree Planted, makes sure that all logistics are accounted for before we begin replanting.
Today, many of the resources allocated to addressing wildfires goes to fighting these fires. That leaves fewer resources for replanting burned forests and helping rebuild and give back to the communities that have been impacted. We want to do what we can to help!
From August 19th through the 24th, for every comment that’s made on our wildfire post on Instagram, we will donate $.10 to wildfire relief efforts in British Columbia and California. Our goal is to donate $20,000, so we need 200,000 comments!
How can I help?
Leaving a comment on our wildfire Instagram post is one way of helping us reach our goal of 200,000 comments, but tagging your friends and encouraging to help us give back to communities in help can amplify your total impact. Tagging your favorite celebrities, influencers, organizations, and brands will also help us reach our goal.
Finally, sharing the post to your Instagram story will encourage your friends and family to get involved, tap through, leave a comment, and share the post themselves
The proceeds of our wildfire post will be split between the California Fire Foundation’s SAVE program and the Canadian Red Cross. Both of these organizations work hard to provide vital relief to individuals impacted by fires and other natural disasters. Together we can help them rebuild communities.
California fire Foundation’s Supplying Aid to Victims of Emergency (SAVE) program brings immediate, short-term relief to victims of fire and other natural disasters throughout California, a state that has been heavily impacted by destructive wildfires in recent history.
Eligible victims of fires and other natural disasters are presented SAVE gift cards by frontline firefighters so they may purchase basic necessities such as food, clothing or medicine. Each gift card comes with a value of $250. Click here to learn more about the SAVE program.
Red Cross Canada provides assistance to individuals who are impacted by wildfires in Canada. The Red Cross offers confidential one-on-one assessments to individuals in order to point them toward support services. Individuals may also be eligible to receive financial assistance as well as basic needs like food, clothing, and medical supplies. To learn more about Red Cross Canada’s work, click here.
Thank you for helping us raise the funds that these communities who’ve suffered from wildfires so desperately need.
In addition to this Instagram post, we are rolling out a special wildfire collection. The goal is to plant a total of 275,000 trees in Elephant Hill, BC and Plumas National Forest in California. These trees will help restore and secure eroded soil, rejuvenate ecosystems and habitats, and rebuild communities.
Elephant Hill
In Elephant Hill, we will plant 250,000 trees. Elephant Hill lost a total of 192,000 hectares of forest due to the wildfires that burned there. The trees planted here will help absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as well as clean the air of pollutants.
Plumas National Forest
Reforestation efforts in Plumas National Forest will include planting a total of 25,000 trees in areas affected by the Antelope Fire Complex. These trees will help restore soil and reduce the effects of erosion, which is a pressing issue after a forest fire.
