Tree-Nation is a Barcelona-based entity that wants to plant 8 million trees in Niger, in the shape of a giant heart. Their hope is that this re-forestation campaign will help the environment and the people of the country.
They’re going about it the right way. People go to the site and peruse a mapping application to find the trees that have already been planted, and/or pick a spot for their tree. There are four types of trees to choose from, ranging from €10 – €75 each. The tree can be named and a message added that people viewing it later can read. Each tree purchase also comes with a “blog,” which is an area where the purchaser can talk about whatever they like, and others can comment. You can also link directly to your tree from another website.
The idea is great, although the execution so far is very rough. I was unable to buy a tree using my Visa card, although the site says they accept it. I was also unable to determine from their website if they are a for-profit or non-profit organization, whether a purchase is tax deductible, and other details which would make me more comfortable donating.
Tree-nation states quite clearly that they are in beta, though, and they are looking to hire a number of people to fill developer roles. If they fix the bugs and provide clearer messaging, this could be a really cool way for the tree hugger crowd to express themselves and do something to help others.
352 trees have been planted so far according to the site. They have a long, long way to reach their goal of 8 million trees. if they get there, It will be interesting to see if this shows up on satellite images of Niger (it should, it will be big enough).