Although there is no certainty of how many trees there are on the entire planet, a study published in 2015 by Nature has been one of the few that has come up with a number: more than 3 trillion worldwide, of which 19 billion are in Chile. In other words, there are more than 1.000 trees for each Chilean inhabitant. It might sound like a lot, but it’s not enough.
According to the United Nations, reforestation is one of the most effective and cheapest measures to tackle climate change. Trees do not only absorb carbon dioxide from the environment and transform it into oxygen, they also prevent soil erosion and reduce the risk of flooding.
What is Chile doing in this regard? Below, we present 5 Chilean initiatives that aim to boost reforestation:
1. “One Chilean, one tree”:
The National Forest Corporation (CONAF) started in 2010 this program that seeks to increase the number of trees in urban and peri-urban areas throughout Chile, especially in economically vulnerable sectors with less vegetation. To date, more than 19 million trees have been planted, mainly of native species, such as quillay, cypress and peumo. In this program, trees are handed over to municipalities and civil organizations, who are responsible for their care, as a way to involve the community in the protection of the environment.
2. Forest recovery and reforestation:
As part of the commitments that Chile has made in relation to the UN’s 2030 Agenda, the country has set the goal to recover 200,000 hectares of native forests and manage them sustainably, in addition to planting 200,000 hectares of new tress, of which a big part of them will correspond to native species.
3. Buy a tree:
Reforestemos Foundation’s purpose is to recover native forests and create awareness among citizens about the importance of taking care of our nature. On their website, any person or company from any country in the world can contribute to the reforestation of the native Chilean forests by buying a tree, while the organization is in charge of planting them. Coihue, lenga, ñirre and quillay are some of the native species they work with.
4. More and better parks for everyone:
Mi Parque Foundation seeks to improve life quality of people living in vulnerable neighborhoods through the creation of green areas in urban and educational spaces, such as public parks and schools. The projects are financed by companies, who are invited to join the community in the construction of the green area, and then they’re handed over to the municipality for their care and maintenance.
5. Adopt a tree:
Have you ever thought about adopting a native tree? At Cultiva you can do it! This corporation that seeks to raise awareness of the effects of climate change through the regeneration of native forests invites people to donate trees to plant in their name or in a friend or family member’s name, as a special gift that contributes to the planet.
