‘Trees for Days’ initiative launches to support community and the environment

G Adventures has announced the launch of its new Trees for Days initiative, bringing the empowerment of local communities and protection of the environment and closer together to enact powerful change through travel and tourism.

Announced in Cusco, Peru on World Tourism Day, during the inaugural GX Summit – the first world community tourism summit – Trees for Days asserts G adventures’ commitment to preserving communities and the environment around the world. Moving forward, for every day a traveller is on a G Adventures trip, one tree will be grown, 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.

In partnership with G Adventures’ non-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.

The small group adventure tour operator has already planted over one million trees after backdating the planting of trees for every day a traveller has joined a trip since 1 January, 2023. 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.

Bruce Poon Tip, founder of G Adventures, says 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.

“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,” says Poon Tip.

Jamie Sweeting, president of Planeterra, says the Trees for Days initiative is a win-win solution for all parties involved.

“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,” says Sweeting.

Daniel Walsh, founder of Reforest, added that the Trees for Days programme is a great example of a corporate reforestation program that is not only looking to do some real good for climate, nature and local communities, but will also give customers a very engaging and personalised way to connect with that impact.

“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,” says Walsh.

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)Mount Kenya Landscape Restoration (Kenya)
• 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)
• Nakaseke Community Reforestation (Uganda)
• Soa Zara Reforestation (Madagascar)
• Tana Delta Reforestation (Kenya)
• Thailand Reforestation (Thailand)
• Zalala Titi Reforestation (Mozambique)

For more information, please visit www.gadventures.com/community-tourism/trees-for-days.
* Rachel Jones, Director rachel@thisishelm.com.au