Three local ways to buy your own mini forest
I’ve been obsessed with owning “land” since I was a child. And not just any old land, mind. More specifically, forest. By age seven, my treehouse was fully imagined, nestled high in the canopy with a long rope ladder snaking down to the leafy mulch floor. Toucans would come and perch on my shoulder and capuchin monkeys would join me for breakfast.
As reality replaced imagination, I doggedly kept to my theme and bought my first acre of rainforest through the World Land Trust at age 12. (I still have the certificate somewhere and have kept up contributions towards the purchase of land like the Choco Andean corridor in Ecuador ever since.)
The problem with this story is that my first love was for Robin Hood and his Merry Men. I was obsessed with the idea of living in Sherwood Forest, wearing green tights and sauntering about with a knife stuck through my belt. And if I had had a choice about where to buy my first acre of forest, it would have been somewhere local (I’m nothing if not practical).
British tree planting projects just weren’t a thing in the 1980’s, or if they were they certainly weren’t advertised in my local library. So, imagine my joy at discovering the growing number of companies working on tree planting projects in the UK today! Here are my top three picks for anyone wanting to contribute to carbon offsetting at a local level, or sate their childhood dreaming of owning “land”:
Ecologi
Smartly targeted at climate-conscious folk, Ecologi’s promise is to plant trees and fund the world’s best climate crisis solutions. And while the majority of these projects focus on far-flung areas, it is this wonderful reforestation of barren heathland just outside Glasgow that caught my eye.
Reforesting Daldry aims to restore the ecosystem by allowing livestock to graze the landscape while deploying agroforestry techniques to both manage the woodland and bring much-needed income into the area.
The best bit about the whole project? When livestock is mentioned they’re talking about these guys!
Forest Carbon
If you’re less swayed by clever marketing and more interested in local offsetting schemes, Forest Carbon is a great option. The portfolio includes peatland restoration, all projects are based in the UK and Ireland and the primary focus is on carbon capture.
A great thing about these guys is that they cater to both businesses and individuals through their Carbon Club. They are very clear about their carbon certification process and their Knowledge Base is packed with useful information.
Creating Tomorrow’s Forests
While all the initiatives above are wonderful, you should be aware that you are engaging with an interim organisation. Ecologi is a brilliant project developed by marketers just like me to bring people together with projects in need of funding. Forest Carbon is a great service but also one step removed from the work itself — for good reason. They focus on the business of calculating carbon and interfacing with businesses and the general public. If you like going direct to the source, there’s one company proudly doing it for themselves. And I love them for it!
Tomorrow’s Forests are professional tree planters. They specialise in high volume commercial reforestation and have a proven track record working across the UK and Canada. They’ve also invested in some of the most beautiful drone footage I have ever seen:
With time running out to keep our global temperatures well below a 1.5 degrees rise, who do you trust to grow fast, strong and diversified forests? Give me commercially aware professional foresters any day.
Their consumer-facing arm — Creating Tomorrow’s Forests — fund afforestation projects focused on building back woodland ecosystems.
Creating your personal forest is a straightforward process. You decide how many trees you want to buy, then you get sent GPS coordinates of precisely where your saplings are planted. This appeals to my inner child still dreaming of treehouse living. I can find my project on Google Earth and keep returning to see satellite images of how the land is changing. This, together with the regular email updates keeps me connected to the work they are doing.
There are loads of other ways to invest in British tree planting; these are just some of the options I have considered. I’m just pleased that anyone growing up in the UK today can find a local patch of woodland to truly call their own.
