Reforestation in Tough Times

While in our international offices we are able to work from our homes – thanks to digital communication tools and well prepared workflows, in Mexico our forest workers can’t. You may ask yourself what these means for our tree planting activities. We are very happy to report that we are able to continue working on our planting site and – most importantly – reach our planting goals for 2020.  

In the tree nursery, the workers have proven that they can easily keep distance. They all work with masks and outside, so the risk of transmitting the virus is minimal, in case one of the workers should get infected in their families or outside the planting area.

Planting of trees will start in the rainy season, probably in June. The rainy season has just begun, now we need to wait some weeks to let the soild become wet enough. Meanwhile, we will prepare the areas that will be planted. Our workers are all from the region. Yet, not all of them live in the small village nearby and can go home every day. Some workers stay in the camp for several days and then travel home to their families for a longer period. At the moment, all our workers have two options: Either they stay on the planting site and continue their work as usual, spending their days off in the camp, or they travel back to their families. If they choose to travel to their families, they currently may not return to the planting site. This way we avoid spreading the Corona virus. Instead, we offer them 50% of their wages while they stay at with their families. This makes hard times a bit easier for them. As an employer, we offer this wage as a voluntary benefit to our workers, there is no legal obligation. Some of the workers decided to go home to their families and we wish they and their loved ones stay safe and healthy.

In addition to preparing our planting sites, we now need to prepare the accomodation for the workers. Sleeping places with much larger distances from each other are necessary. Procedures must be adapted so that distance can be maintained at every step of the work process and also in leisure time.

What can you do now?

You can help us to get ready to plant. We will start planting! The corona crisis shows us that we’re stronger together. Let’s fight together against a crisis that also threatens lives: the climate crisis. You can start today by donating a tree. A sign of hope and peace.

Donate Now

We invite you to plant trees for your loved ones. Give away a small forest as a present. You can email it! Keeping those who need to be protected now safe, and doing them a favor by dedicating trees to them for the future.

Gift trees

Every tree you donate today will be planted in 2020. We have enough space and there are lots of locals motivated and eager to become our colleagues and help us reforesting the Yucatán peninsula this summer.

You can also download the Plant-for-the-Planet App and support other planting projects who are all facing similar challenges.

With your donation, you support us to improve the App and make it easier for tree planting organizations around the globe to plant trees and transparently report about their progress.

Donate Now

Stay healthy and don’t forget: We can plant a better future!