MADRID – Sixteen hectares of forest is the result of the Give a Tree initiative of the Reforesta association. It has already planted over 27,000 trees across Spain. On special days such as Christmas, Reforesta encourages giving a tree as a gift.
Miguel Angel Ortega, founder, and director of Reforesta, says the action goes beyond the gift itself. The goal is for people to become aware that “nature is more emotional than rational”. For €19 you give a tree as a present and the lucky person will receive a digital gift card. For €20 the recipient receives aa physical card by post. This card immediately serves as proof the planting. They always plant indigenous trees in a protected nature area.
Reforesta also offers the possibility for the recipient to plant the tree themselves. If that is not possible, then someone can at least visit ‘the tree’. A map shows the geographic coordinates of the gifted tree. A biodegradable card is placed next to the tree with the name of the person it is gifted to. The organisation also organises voluntary irrigation days.
Ortega emphasises that Reforesta’s goal is for people to understand that their small contribution helps. They are helping the vegetation and thus the entire ecosystem.
The gift trees are now being planted in the Sierra de Guadarrama in Madrid, in the Natural Park of Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac (Barcelona) and La Zubia (Granada).
