A corporate partner's backstory
8 Billion Trees was founded in late 2018 with an ambitious mission: plant 8 billion trees around the globe before 2021 when the Earth’s population reaches eight billion people.
Founders Mike Powell and Jon Chambers were inspired by Eden's work and quickly learned that if nothing is done to stop deforestation and restore the planet’s forests, climate change and habitat destruction will destroy Earth’s natural beauty…permanently.
Putting forth thousands of their own money, they launched the company and quickly worked to build support for tree planting all across the world. Now planting through partners in 18 countries, it’s clear their work has already had a tremendous impact in the fight against deforestation. In fact, the new company has already planted over 130,000 trees in just a few short months!
But Mike and Jon knew they wanted to do something even bigger, and they knew that the only way to do it was through Eden —an organization well known for its efficiency and transparency.
A review of 8 Billion Trees’ efforts with Eden's help
Their plan?
To support an entire planting operation in Madagascar with the help of Eden to be able to plant over 250,000 trees in the next 12 months. After gaining approval from Eden's CEO and tree expert Dr. Stephen Fitch, the location of the planting site was chosen: Mahajanga, Madagascar.
Located in the northwestern part of Madagascar along the coast, Mahajanga is no stranger to deforestation where thousands of mangroves have disappeared over the past century. But thanks to Eden’s efforts, there is a now a strong planting operation near the city that is working to reverse the destruction.
Putting forth thousands in fresh funding, 8 Billion Trees is now fully supporting the planting site to continue carrying the torch of hope forward. Hundreds of thousands of trees will be planted in the coming months. And just as important, thousands of work hours will be created to energize the local community and provide native citizens a stable income in the poverty-stricken area.
As Mike and Jon continue to work hard at raising awareness for tree planting while making a powerful impact around the world, they are excited to be supporting Eden and the amazing work being done in Madagascar.
Is 8 Billion Trees Legit? The answer is clear: yes!