We have all heard the news – the planet is in a clash. Humans are increasingly impacting climate change, and it seems nothing is being done to stop it. The solution does not have to be demanding. Saving and restoring forests can be the cost-effective of all the vast answers, yet, these abstract ecosystems have been gradually destroyed. Being aware of this problem, we decided to plant a tree. A small action that influenced us to do something bigger, and we hope it can make a difference in the future. Keep reading to understand the reasons behind our decision to plant a tree, the impact it will have, and somehow inspire you to do the same too.
People still consider environmental problems a recent issue. In fact, for generations, population growth and increasing consumption have been causing the destruction of wildlife and ecosystems. Were you aware that deforestation is responsible for 17% of these CO2 emissions? Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UN FAO) calculates that 10 million hectares of forest are destroyed each year. This means that we are destroying the habitats of wild animals and unique species of vegetation. However, the importance of forests does not end there, since it is also essential for humans. Their capacity to collect greenhouse gas emissions keeps the planet livable for all of us, acting as a much-needed buffer against irreversible climate change. For years specialists have been alerting us that we will hit a no-return point “jeopardizing the health and wellbeing of future generations”. It all depends on humans and the choices we make every day.
Knowing that we should not only rely on others, our daily acts can also be significant. Even before the creation of Humana, we were already connected to social and environmental projects, and now, more than never, we still take our social responsibility seriously.
"Tree growth can be interpreted as those bonds we intend to assemble with our clients to help them continue growing and prospering"
These are the steps we took to conceptualize “Thoughts”: 1. Choosing the platform; 2. Searching for references; 3. What should we do differently comparing to our references; 4. How we’re going to structure our blog; 5. What thoughts are we going to share; 6. Start writing thoughts!! We had one thing in our minds from the beginning, and it was that we didn’t want “Thoughts” to be just another technical design blog. With that being said, we came up with the idea of creating what we like to call “Series”. Every Series is special to us! It’s an attempt to sharing thoughts about our project experiences, build better futures with creativity & design, and book recommendations. Our ambition is simple: to approach different perspectives and viewpoints about a subject and wishfully, to help you broaden your horizon and be a source of inspiration. But we are not writers; we aren’t used to writing creatively, but to become better writers, all we need to do is to write! Writing can be beneficial to everyone! It’s a creative process and a valuable tool for thinking and for productivity. It becomes a kind of meditation where we make reflections on ourselves. Paul Jun affirms: “as much as writing is about communicating with others, it begins with self-reflection”. The result: We see it as a win-win where both of us (you and us) can learn something from it. As mentioned above, words can be a powerful tool to communicate and spread our message. Knowing that we live in an unfair world, we still believe that we can make a difference. What can we do to change mentalities and create a better world? Well, designers have the skill set to communicate, influence, and motivate people. But to be able to communicate efficiently, good writing is key. For us, good writing means creating context and not content! But what does that mean, you may ask. According to the MasterClass Staff, “context provides meaning and clarity to the intended message“.
As we keep our efforts to reduce our ecological footprint, we decided to plant a tree to celebrate Christmas. This idea led us to a more prominent move. Offering to the clients we have worked with throughout the years the opportunity to plant a tree. We see our clients as partners, and it is a chance to keep the bonds or build a collaborative partnership. By involving them in this process, we can raise awareness of the deforestation problem. And metaphorically, tree growth can be interpreted as those bonds we intend to assemble with our clients to help them continue growing and prospering.
To ensure we could plant a tree and ensure its growth, we teamed up with Tree-Nation. A non-profit organization committed to battling climate change and reforesting the world. It has more than 30 active reforestation projects in different countries, encouraging everyone and the planter to take action.
"Each tree will protect the coastline from floods and storms and avoid coast erosion, but the benefits are not exclusively environmental"
We wanted to plant a tree with a purpose. After searching, we came up with the project and location - Eden Reforestation Projects in Mozambique. A country known for its vast mangrove estuaries and forests, but for years have been severely affected by deforestation.
To help reforest the territory, Eden Reforestation Projects began the program in 2018 "to bring back the vitality of the forests that fringe the rivers and coastline". Unfortunately, the number of trees already planted and the number of trees needed in the region is still high, according to Tree-Nation.
For that reason, we chose to plant "Red Mangroves" - a small to medium size type of tree with unique above ground prop roots. It has a natural life span of 25 years and is estimated to absorb 50 kg of CO2 throughout its lifetime. Each tree will protect the coastline from floods and storms and avoid coast erosion, but the benefits are not exclusively environmental. The project also supports the local community by offering long-term employment, livelihood improvements and helps protect the biodiversity that relies on mangrove forests to survive.
Our planet faces massive problems today. We need to recognize that our daily actions can make a difference, and frequently those short steps have the most effective impact. Planting a tree can be a good start. When smart environmental choices become a daily practice, it influences people into taking similar efforts, creating a domino effect. That was our goal by planting an arbor - to inspire our clients and you.
So if you feel motivated and want to plant a tree, it is super easy and quick. You can visit the Tree-Nation website, select the project you desire and simply select the tree and the quantity you wish to seed. You can also offer someone the opportunity to plant a tree by choosing the "offer a tree" option. Don't forget to plant yours!
We wish you greener Holidays and a more sustainable New Year!