TORONTO — G Adventures has announced a new ‘Trees for Days’ initiative that includes one tree planted for every one of its travellers per day.
Launched on Sept. 27 to coincide with World Tourism Day, ‘Trees for Days’ aims to protect the environment and empower local communities through travel and tourism.
G Adventures has backdated the planting of trees for every day a traveller has joined a trip since Jan. 1, 2023. As a result, over one million trees are already being grown in partnership with G Adventures’ non-profit partner Planeterra and Reforest, which supports tree planting and forest conservation around the world.
It is estimated that more than one and a half million trees will be planted each year with this initiative.
Soon, travellers will be able to contribute beyond the end date of their G Adventures trip by continuing to purchase trees in a region of their choice whenever they travel, via their G Adventures account. They’ll also be able to keep tabs on their tree grove in terms of how many trees they’ve grown and where they’ve planted their roots.
As of today, for every day a traveller is on a G Adventures trip, one tree will be grown in their name, helping to both mitigate carbon emissions and increase support in 17 local communities around the world. The tree-planting projects are in locations that have been severely impacted by climate change through deforestation, or that are currently under threat. By supporting the development of sustainable tourism enterprises within these communities, the travel industry can help protect the environment as well as create additional income streams for local people, most often benefitting marginalized Indigenous populations, women and youth.
“As the pioneers of community tourism, supporting local communities is at the core of our DNA,” said Bruce Poon Tip, founder of G Adventures. “With the increasing urgency to help our planet, I’m thrilled to be announcing our ‘Trees for Days’ initiative in partnership with Planeterra and Reforest. Our non-profit partner, Planeterra, has been instrumental in sourcing the community-based tree planting projects, and Reforest – which we invested in last year – is providing the technology platform.
“Together, we will address how community tourism can play an important role in helping the planet heal, while uplifting local communities through reforestation and positive local impact.”
The 17 projects being supported by the ‘Trees for Days’ initiative are as follows:
∙ Acción Andina Argentina (Argentina)
∙ Acción Andina Bolivia (Bolivia)
∙ Acción Andina Peru (Peru)
∙ Ambadandegama Reforestation Initiative (Sri Lanka)
∙ Ankilahila 1 Reforestation (Madagascar)
∙ Indrawati Reforestation (Nepal)
∙ Argan and Caper Tree Growing (Morocco)
∙ Kilimanjaro Reforestation (Tanzania)
∙ La Tigra Agroforestry (Honduras)
∙ Mahelmudi Reforestation (Nepal)
∙ Maskarat Nursery: El Khair Women’s Coop (Morocco)
∙ Mount Kenya Landscape Restoration (Kenya)
∙ Nakaseke Community Reforestation (Uganda)
∙ Soa Zara Reforestation (Madagascar)
∙ Tana Delta Reforestation (Kenya)
∙ Thailand Reforestation (Thailand)
∙ Zalala Titi Reforestation (Mozambique)
For more information about ‘Trees for Days’ go to https://www.gadventures.com/community-tourism/trees-for-days.
