Thanks to all of our wonderful members, Play it Green has now planted 51,248 trees across our three sites in Madagascar.
Our latest order for 23,500 trees to be planted nearly beat the combined total of our first four orders, showing how we continue to grow and affect more change.
We have three critical values that drive our actions: openness, togetherness and being customer-led. This is why we publish regular tree planting reports, all our purchase receipts for the trees and, if you are that way inclined, our Board Reports which summarise our monthly board meetings.
Our tree total to date amounts to filling eight Premier League football pitches with trees that are all one metre apart. This is a fantastic start and would not be possible without all of our amazing members, yet we still have much more we would like to do.
In our previous tree planting reports, we have talked about how trees help the environment, why they’re planted in Madagascar, and how we guarantee they’re planted. You can find more about them here.
In this report, instead of focusing on the environmental impacts of the trees, we will discuss how our planting benefits the local people.
A Bottom-Up Methodology
More than 90% of Madagascar’s primary forests have been destroyed, damaging the local economy and impacting people living in extreme poverty the most.
To remedy this situation, the Eden Reforestation Project starts by connecting with local communities and building relationships with local leaders who want their environment to thrive. With their help, they can build the citizens’ commitment to restoring and protecting the forest.
The local communities are essential in guiding the team towards planting opportunities and can assist in overcoming restoration obstacles with their knowledge of the local area.
Employ-to-Plant
Once the local community is on board, the Eden Reforestation Project provides economic incentives and simple planting techniques to support them in restoring their environment and economy.
Keeping the systems simple is key to this, as they can be easily replicated and implemented by those who don’t have many resources and must deal with treacherous roads, unreliable electricity, and spotty internet.
By putting the local community at the centre of the reforestation effort, it inspires a sense of ownership and a greater commitment to protecting their forests long-term.
In fact, Madagascar is one of their most prolific reforestation and poverty alleviation project nations, now on their second generation of farmers who tend to, as well as, plant the trees. They have also been able to develop extensive infrastructure such as guardhouses, fire towers, seed banks, and a training centre for local nursery managers to gain hands-on experience in seedling management and effective reforestation techniques.
Through this employ-to-plant method, the success of the reforestation efforts and the communities’ economic success are inextricably linked, so you know, when you plant with Play it Green, you’re making a difference that extends far beyond the environment.
Take a look at the video below with Eden Planter Maman’i Kambina to see how planting has impacted her village, her family, and her life.
Play It Green plant mangrove and other native dry deciduous trees across three sites in Madagascar highlighted below. If you click the links below, you can even visit them on Google Earth.
Antsanitia Site
Coordinates: 15°37’13.22”S, 46°26’11.29”E
Visit the site on Google Earth
Akalamboro Site
Coordinates: 16°12’16.94”S, 44°55’4.13”E
Visit the site on Google Earth
Vilamatsa Site
Coordinates: 16°16’17.09”S, 44°26’47.66”E
Visit the site on Google Earth