Another year, another 1002 trees funded.
Thank you so much Showcase Workshop users!
Trees that Count launched a tracker earlier this year so we can follow exactly where plantings from our donations are happening - which just makes the contributions feel even more impactful.
While we at Showcase Workshop choose to focus our efforts on trees, the end goal is, of course, to do our small part in reversing the impacts of climate change.
Despite some encouraging stories that suggest otherwise, it's unlikely that planting trees alone will be enough to reverse climate change - so it's been exciting to see focus this year on other areas where big impacts can be made, especially waste and plastic usage:
- We've seen plastic drinking straw bans implemented and widely approved of in many countries and states.
- At least two major hotel chains are phasing out single use plastic toiletry bottles - between them saving an estimated 400 million small bottles a year!
- Some seriously cool trash-based innovations from our neighbours in Oz - including making waste into roads and turning disposable coffee cups into reusable coffee cups!
- Trash even made for some late night comedy gold with Trevor Noah earlier this year.
For our part, we commissioned a custom illustration for a reusable tote bag as New Zealand's country-wide ban on single-use plastic bags came into effect in July. We still have a few left so send me an email if you'd like one - we'll post them anywhere in the world so don't be shy.
As December is upon us, you may be asking yourself whether this year you'll have a real tree or fake tree - and what's the impact of each option? The short answer is: if you buy a fake tree that's of good enough quality that you'll use it for at least 10 Christmas' then fake is the way to go. If not, go for a real tree and reduce the impact of that by disposing of it with fire or in the wood chipper. This article is an excellent primer for Christmas tree considerations.
In my last Forest Releaf Fund update I shared a link to this podcast which digs into what's happening below the forest floor, in the Wood Wide Web. A reader shared with me this beautifully illustrated - and significantly shorter - 2 minute animated version:
And lastly, I'll close with what can only be considered a very tangentially related thought. The idea for the Forest Releaf Fund came to me - in part - on a road trip to a California forest. My husband and I have since been on a quest to visit all of the USA's 61 National Parks and in the process have become really fond of un-fancy filter coffee - the kind you get for free at basic chain hotels or very cheaply at gas stations.
This article made me realise it has nothing to do with the actual coffee and everything to do with what the coffee stands for: "The more I drink gas station coffee, the more I realize its correlation with adventure."
So, I wish you a holiday season filled with average coffee/beer/wine but great adventure!