11 Reasons to Gift a Tree for the Holidays

If you want to give something that's (literally) outside the box, planting trees is a great way to do that. Everyone has their own personal relationship with trees, but many have fond memories of enjoying the great outdoors.

Gift trees for your best friend, your grandma, the person who has everything, or the nature-lover on your list. They will love the thoughtful gesture!

From cleaning the air we breathe to filtering the water we drink, trees provide many benefits over their lifetimes — much more so than whatever last minute gift happens to be left on the shelf.

And since everything is conducted digitally, planting trees for someone will reduce your holiday carbon footprint and help you avoid the stress of shipping delays.

When it comes to providing a lifetime of benefits, trees truly are the gift that keeps on giving. Every year, your loved one can look back and smile as they think about how their tree is growing and helping wildlife, ecosystems, local communities and the climate.

Once the planting project has been completed, you'll receive a donor update so that you can learn more about your impactful gift!

80% of the world's known terrestrial plant and animal species can be found in forests. This means that one tree alone can be home to hundreds of living things!

Just think about all the birds, insects, and mammals that will have a place to live thanks to your awesome holiday gift.

Trees help clean the air by absorbing carbon, releasing breathable oxygen and filtering harmful particulate pollution through their leaves.

The World Health organization says that 9 out of 10 people breathe air that contains high levels of pollutants, which can trigger new cases of asthma, exacerbate existing respiratory problems, lead to chronic illness, and more. Planting trees helps protect ecological and human health!

As evidenced by the growing youth climate protest movements across the globe, young people today are increasingly concerned about how our changing climate will affect their future.

By planting trees, you'll help to secure a livable climate and environment for future generations.

Trees produce nutritious food and income for people in need. They also help restore degraded land so that farmers can gradually increase their crop yields, reduce damaging erosion and landslides, and help the soil retain more water so that crops can grow and thrive.

With healthier food systems as a result of trees, communities also enjoy improved health, jobs, and economic stability. 

Trees offer a lot of protection when natural disasters like flooding and landslides occur. Their powerful root systems act like filters and absorb stormwater, reducing the risk of flooding.

According to the Food and Agriculture Association of the United Nations, a mature evergreen tree can intercept more than 15,000 liters of water every year. But don't worry, they don't keep it all for themselves! Trees redistribute up to 95% of the water they absorb.

Planting a tree with One Tree Planted costs just $1 per tree! You can plant as many as you'd like, whether it's a single tree or a small forest.

Regardless of your holiday gift budget, you can rest assured that the tree or trees you gift will have a powerful impact for people and the environment.

Think of all the time and money you'll save by not having to wrap a bunch of presents!

By planting trees on behalf of everyone on your holiday shopping list, you'll help ensure that your family's holiday celebrations are more sustainable this year.

Not ready to give up completely on physical gifts? Try switching to reused material: if every American family wrapped just 3 presents in reused materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields! 

Many gifts get thrown away within a year. That adds up to a lot of waste and lost value. Approximately 5 billion pounds of returned goods end up in landfills, which is equivalent to the trash produced by 5 million Americans.

Returning gifts also accounts for 1.6 billion gallons of diesel fuel and 15 million metric tons of CO2 each year. By gifting trees, you can avoid the hassle of holiday returns and rest assured that your gift isn't going to add to the waste stream!