One item sent = one mangrove tree.

A tree is planted for every Smukbird® item sold

With every item you order, you support the planting of one Mangrovenbaumes in Madagascar. The trees under the reforestation projects Eden Reforestation Projects® promote biodiversity, restore coastlines, provide good income for local people and grow mangrove trees, which represent an enormous carbon sink.

Reforestation of a mangrove forest in Madagascar

Effects of planting mangrove trees

Mangroves are unique ecosystems found across a wide range of the tropics, occupying the intertidal zones of more than 120 countries. Mangroves and coastal wetlands in general are of global importance due to the many services they provide to people and the planet. This includes protection against storm surges, nursery areas for fish and other sea creatures, the provision of building materials and firewood and an important contribution to stabilizing the global climate as a remarkable carbon store.

Mangrove forests are enormous carbon scavengers.

With the rapid increase in greenhouse gas emissions over the past century, the need for permanent carbon sinks has increased. The latest models suggest that reducing emissions and protecting existing forests is no longer enough. In fact, to keep global temperature rise within "acceptable" limits, we need to rapidly increase carbon sequestration. It is estimated that mangrove systems worldwide can store a staggering 20 petagrams of carbon. For a plant community that makes up less than 5% of the world's land area, mangroves are one of the most important carbon sinks, even more than many rainforests like the Amazon. Since mangroves are a relatively fast-growing species group, they also absorb the greenhouse gas very quickly.

Mangrove forests help preserve wildlife and biodiversity.

With forest destruction, wildlife species lose their natural habitat and are forced to relocate, reducing their chances of survival. Home to over 200 mammal species, 100 lemur species, 300 bird species and nearly 300 amphibian species, Madagascar is one of the top conservation priorities in the world. About ninety percent of all wildlife in Madagascar is endemic, meaning found only on the island. The work of Eden Reforestation Projects® protects these wildlife species in Madagascar by restoring their natural habitats.

The reforestation of mangrove forests gives people a perspective.

For the local people, working with Eden Reforestation Projects® a new perspective, a secure income and a way out of poverty for both workers and their families.

The projects of the global organization support 10 UN Sustainable Development Goals (out of a total of 17) to strengthen the local population.

Above Eden Reforestation Projects®:

Eden Reforestation Projects® is a non-profit organization whose goal is to provide impoverished villagers with fair-paying employment so they can participate in restoring forests around the world. Their "Employ to Plant" method leads to a multiplication of the positive socio-economic and ecological results. The goals of the project are:

  • Cultivation, planting and guarding of large-scale afforestation projects,
  • Preventing deforestation by alleviating extreme poverty, through employment.
  • Restoring the environment through reforestation, improving fisheries, agriculture and carbon sequestration.

"Don't just plant trees, create forests"

In the following video you can get an insight into the reforestation work in Madagascar and other countries.

More information about Eden Reforestation Projects® you can find out at these links:

https://www.edenprojects.org/case-studies/madagascar

https://sdgs.un.org/partnerships/eden-reforestation-projects-plant-trees-save-lives

We appreciate your contribution to improving the environment and thank you very much. Feel free to look around our shop or think of us next time you need a gift.