Of all the things on your to-do list, is planting more trees one of them? No? Not a problem – that’s something that might change very soon.
In this post, Chris Kaiser from Click A Tree tells us all about the sustainable benefits of planting trees around the world, and why we need to start planting more trees – beginning today. Thankfully, their team has made it so simple to plant a tree with just a few clicks on your computer screen.
Why We Should Be Focusing on Planting Trees
You probably already know that trees provide us with the oxygen we need to breathe, right? If not, then you do now. Trees also provide us with essential greenery and shade in our day-to-day lives, and a mental calm when we need a quiet escape from the city.
But why else do we need to plant even more trees? Is there a more global reason? An urgent reason to plant these environmental superheroes?
As it turns out, trees are essential for the wellbeing of just about every living being on our planet. And if you don’t believe that bold claim then, don’t worry, we think the following four factors will prove it to you.
Reduced Greenhouse Gases and Natural Carbon Sinks
Trees naturally pull in carbon (and water) from the atmosphere to feed themselves. It’s just a happy coincidence that, in doing so, that process produces a pretty handy by-product: oxygen.
It goes without saying that oxygen is important. But the crucial takeaway is that trees absorb carbon and one of the biggest aspects of global warming is the rising amount of carbon dioxide trapped in our atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide is one of several greenhouse gases contributing to our rapid climate change. Since trees already absorb carbon, we need to plant even more to combat the effect it’s having on our planet. And we need to do it quickly – 11,000 scientists have declared that the planet is currently facing a “climate emergency.” If we plant more trees today, that means there will be less carbon and fewer greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.
Life-Changing Careers, Stable Income, and Dependable Work
While trees can help tackle the rising temperatures around the world, on a more personal level, planting trees can be a life-changing career for people as well.
Click A Tree often plants trees in developing countries where poor infrastructure and unstable economies mean that work opportunities are scarce. When workers can plant trees, they can build a career, afford simple necessities, and even afford an education. That’s why planting trees meets so many of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Sometimes, planting a tree can go one step further – like planting Trees for Entrepreneurs. At this tree-planting site, planting a tree helps to reforest Ghana, creates work for local people, and even helps to fund the community’s entrepreneurship school.
That school teaches young, unemployed Ghanaians essential business skills and gives them the chance to receive a business education. They can then pass those lessons on to the next generation and a self-sustaining, tree-planting community thrives.
Endangered Animal Species Need Trees to Survive
Everybody has a favorite animal. Chances are, yours depends on trees to survive for one reason or another.
Deforestation is a worldwide issue, and it’s devastating for many animals that depend on the forest as a natural habitat. Click A Tree plants Trees for Tuskers because even the largest land-based animals need trees to survive.
But you might be surprised to discover that Click A Tree plants Trees for the Seas as well. Turtles, crustaceans, and plenty of other sea life depend on trees like mangrove trees for nests and for juvenile territory.
Frankly, every single tree that’s planted will go some way to providing a home – and a future – for critically endangered animal species.
Related reading: Citizen science & elephant conservation in Thailand with Biosphere Expeditions
Humidity Control and Healthier Soil
Planting more trees helps to maintain healthy soils and humidity levels in the air around the world. It begins when trees regulate the water cycle. Trees absorb air and transpire it back into the atmosphere, effectively filtering and controlling the levels of humidity wherever they are.
And then there’s the quality of the soil too. Did you know that trees naturally remove carbon and noxious substances from soil? Other plants and crops certainly do, since it’s hugely beneficial for them. Additionally, tree roots gather deep minerals and vitamins in the soil and pull them to the surface where, combined with their decomposing foliage, they improve the soil even further.
Planting Trees with Click A Tree
If you plant a tree today, you help to educate young, unemployed Ghanaians, protect endangered animal species around the world, do your bit in the battle against climate change, provide work in developing countries, and even protect the quality of soil and air around the world.
And the best news is that you can plant a tree in less than a minute.
Visit Click A Tree to find out everything you need to know. You can buy a tree as a sustainable gift for a loved one or plant a tree when booking a trip on their travel platform: B’n’Tree.
We need to do everything we can to plant more trees, starting from today. There are just too many good reasons not to.
Listen to The Altruistic Traveller’s interview with Chris Kaiser on Spotify and all your other favourite podcast platforms.
This article was brought to you by Chris Kaiser.
Chris Kaiser is the founder and CEO of Click A Tree. He has worked and lived on 5 continents to date. His last stint in Thailand, living and working in close contact with elephants, drove him to develop Click A Tree, a company that helps individuals plant trees and fight climate change from the comfort of their screens. His vision is to melt capitalistic values and charitable work together, and he’s currently on a mission to help businesses become more sustainable while driving profits at the same time. Together with corporate partners of different sizes and from various industries he develops tailor-made strategies to make planting trees profitable, so both our planet and the partnering business benefit.