Wildfires are happening every year, and they are causing, what feels like, more destruction each year.
While some fires are natural or part of a controlled burn, wildfire intensity and frequency are out of balance. Climate change is creating the perfect conditions for longer, more intense fire seasons, and forests around the world are paying the price.
When a fire burns too hot or covers too much ground, it can destroy the very systems a forest needs to recover on its own, damaging the soil, threatening wildlife, and putting communities at risk. That’s where post-wildfire restoration comes in.
How Post-Wildfire Reforestation Works
At Tentree, we support planting native, fire-resilient species in wildfire-affected areas to help speed up recovery and bring these ecosystems back to life. Due to seed source destruction or soil degradation, many tree species lost in wildfires may either not regrow on their own or take decades to regenerate naturally. Active reforestation efforts help accelerate the recovery of these forests, ensuring biodiversity is maintained and critical habitats are restored.
It’s about more than just replacing trees; it’s about rebuilding habitats, restoring biodiversity, and creating more resilient forests for the future.
Post-wildfire reforestation helps:
- Prevent soil erosion and landslides
- Improve water quality in rivers and lakes
- Support wildlife by restoring lost habitat
- Boost carbon sequestration
- Create seasonal jobs and support local economies
- Reduce the risk of future high-severity fires
In fact, planting the right species after a fire can reduce the chance of future extreme fires by up to 50%, increase forest carbon storage by 70% within 10 years, and help ecosystems recover over 50% faster.
Where We’re Planting
Since launching our post-wildfire reforestation efforts, we’ve partnered with our sister company, Veritree, to support recovery projects across North America — each one tailored to the needs of the land, the community, and the local wildlife.
Canadian Post-Wildfire Reforestation Projects
Williams Lake, BC
In British Columbia’s Cariboo region, wildfires between 2017 and 2021 scorched more than 1.3 million hectares of forest. The 2017 Hanceville fire alone devastated ancient Douglas-fir stands, a critical winter habitat for deer, and disrupted the lives of Indigenous communities by destroying traditional food and hunting grounds.
We teamed up with planting partner Zanzibar to support the recovery, planting species like Lodgepole pine, Hybrid spruce, Western larch, and Douglas fir to help bring the forest back and reduce the risk of future fires.
Nicola, BC
Another area in BC hit hard by wildfire, Nicola, is now being reforested with native species to help heal the soil, regenerate biodiversity, and support the local ecosystem.
Sierra Nevada, California
This multi-year project focuses on restoring native forest cover, improving water systems, and rebuilding wildlife habitat in a region that has faced record-breaking wildfires in recent years.
Sawle Lake, Alberta
This site is home to our first “Smart Forest,” where real-time monitoring tools help track restoration progress and forest health over time.
American Post-Wildfire Reforestation Project
Oregon, USA
We’re helping restore fire-impacted forests in Oregon to revive habitats for species like deer, elk, trout, bear, and the spotted owl — species that rely on healthy, biodiverse forests to thrive.
What Happens Next
Our reforestation partners work with local communities and Indigenous groups to ensure restoration projects provide economic opportunities and reflect traditional knowledge. From planting fire-resistant trees like Aspen to monitoring forest recovery over time, the intention behind these projects is to create a long-lasting impact.
Get Involved
If you’ve ever purchased something from Tentree, you’re already a tree planter. Every item sold plants 10 trees, many of which go directly toward restoring wildfire-affected areas. When you shop our Wildfire Restoration Collection, you’re directly helping to replant the species most needed to bring fire-damaged forests back to life.
Want to do even more? Whether you’re looking to volunteer or find paid opportunities in reforestation, we’ve got a guide to help you get started.
You can also explore Veritree’s Restorative Coalition to connect with restoration leaders, or check out their Treeferral Program to find hands-on planting opportunities near you.
We’ve already planted over 110 million trees — and we’re just getting started. Visit tentree.ca to help us keep planting.
