Transparency is a priority for us at Ecosia. We keep you informed about our finances, give regular tree updates and also share when we encounter difficulties.
We have been working with Trees for Humanity since 2021 and will be concluding our tree-planting partnership with them. Trees for Humanity is an organization dedicated to re-wilding degraded land and protecting endangered species in East Africa. We initiated our partnership with the Spain-based organization to plant trees in the western part of Uganda. In 2023, we expanded our efforts to include Kenya.
One of the standout aspects of this partnership was their innovative use of compostable seedling pots made from dried banana leaves. In 2021, Trees for Humanity, along with two other planting partners, hosted a learning session for Ecosia’s partners to highlight how to manufacture biodegradable seedling pots, creating employment opportunities for rural women. This approach significantly reduces the use of single-use plastics in tree nurseries, and we have started to implement similar solutions in other projects.
To date, 1.2 million of these trees have been planted and registered in Uganda and Kenya. Throughout our partnership, we aimed to have at least 1.9 million trees growing after three years of being planted. Following Ecosia's initial site visit in 2021, it became evident that despite the large number of trees planted, some challenges were arising, which impacted the quality and progress of the project. For example, community buy-in was proving to be challenging, and access to land for planting was also difficult. Trees for Humanity then pivoted to different planting locations and techniques and a second visit in 2023 showed better results for the new areas.
Despite this, in 2024 they have indicated to us that they want to stop their operations, including their partnership with Ecosia.
We are working closely with Trees for Humanity to develop a plan for the next steps and making sure the trees and the people involved can continue to thrive, because even though this partnership is concluding, our commitment to the trees we’ve planted remains unchanged.
In consultation with Trees for Humanity, we identified local organizations (including Kara-Tunga) and individuals that operate close to the sites planted with Trees for Humanity and we will work with them to ensure the ongoing maintenance and monitoring of these trees. Our tree team will complement this with satellite-based remote sensing to monitor the long-term performance of the sites.
