Trees for Days initiative launches to support environment and community

Initiative plants one tree per G Adventures’ traveller per day

G Adventures has announced it has launched its new Trees for Days initiative, to protect the protection of the environment and empower local communities.

The small group adventure operator has said 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 benefiting and empowering marginalised Indigenous populations, women, and youth”.

Over one million trees are already being grown, as G Adventures has backdated the planting of trees for every day a traveller has joined a trip since January 01, 2023. 

Soon, travellers will also be able to contribute after their G Adventures trip by continuing to purchase trees in a region of their choice whenever they travel, via their G Adventures account.

In partnership with G Adventures’ not-for-profit partner Planeterra, which uses community tourism to change lives, and Reforest, which actively supports tree planting and forest conservation work around the world, it is estimated that more than one and a half million trees will be planted each year. 

Travellers will be able to log into their G Adventures account and keep tabs on their tree grove in terms of how many trees they’ve grown and where they’ve planted their roots.

Bruce Poon Tip, founder of G Adventures, said the vision for the Trees for Days project is to increase the positive impact customers have when travelling with G Adventures, while at the same time supporting communities impacted by climate change.

He said: “As the pioneers of community tourism, supporting local communities is at the core of our DNA. 

“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.

“Our travellers care about making a difference when they travel - and they do that simply by booking a tour with G Adventures. 

“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,” he added. 

Jamie Sweeting, president of Planeterra, said: “The planting of trees not only contributes to the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but it helps promote healthier landscapes and ecosystems such as wetlands, grasslands, and forests, and provides crucial habitats, food, and shelter for wildlife, thus helping to maintain biodiversity. 

“Beyond that, helping local environments grow and flourish means they become more resilient to extreme weather events, which protects - and even helps develop - local communities and their sources of income, especially in rural areas. 

“More trees also means cleaner air, and a reduction in the effects of extreme heat.”

Daniel Walsh, founder of Reforest, added: “Travellers increasingly want to feel like they are leaving a positive footprint, so a key benefit of this program is that they can feel that sense of ownership of the trees planted for them.”