You have received a tree as a gift, but what does that actually mean?

Someone has given you a tree from the EcoTree forests. It’s a very beautiful and caring gift, but maybe you’re wondering what it actually means? Is there anything you need to do to claim the tree? What does the tree do for the environment, and what can you do with it?

Don’t worry, you will soon understand that you have in fact been given a very generous gift!

The EcoTree basics

EcoTree owns several forests across Europe, and manages them through sustainable forestry methods. The trees in the forests are owned by both companies and people just like you. Trees grow for years and years, and the wood is eventually harvested and sold as high quality timber. Our sustainable forestry practices means that we only perform selective cuts (no clear-cutting!) and respect the local ecosystems.

The owner (you!) receives the profit from the trees. New tree plants are planted, sold to new owners, and the cycle is repeated. Meanwhile, we also conduct biodiversity projects to strengthen and rejuvenate the forests.

Europe’s threatened forests will be protected, and the trees make an ecological contribution in several ways, and provide industries with renewable material. Aside from these advantages, a tree is simply a beautiful, thoughtful and symbolic gift that has so much more to offer than a material gift.

What does your tree contribute to?

As mentioned above, a tree is not only a meaningful gift that keeps growing and giving joy over time. It also has several positive environmental effects.

• Carbon sink: Trees are some of the most effective carbon sinks on the planet, meaning that they absorb CO2 from the planet’s atmosphere and store it for a long time, making an important difference in the fight against climate change
• Biodiversity haven: Sustainably managed trees and forests, such as EcoTree’s, are places where local wildlife and plants thrive
• Renewable resource: Wood is a renewable material that can serve as a much more environmentally friendly alternative, e.g. replacing construction materials like cement and concrete.

Possibilities and opportunities

Now, there’s a living, growing tree in your name, thriving in a natural forest environment. Your tree is part of a forest full of other people’s trees, but you get proof of ownership of exactly the tree you’ve been gifted. Being the owner of an EcoTree tree offers you opportunities to follow up on your tree’s life and growth.

• Visit the tree: Some of our forests are open to the public. Just make sure to check the forest information so you know it’s open, or ask our support team!
• Name the tree: You can also choose to name your tree(s). How about Oakley or Spruce Springsteen?
• Geolocation: You will get the GPS coordinates to your tree, making it easy to find in location software like Google Maps
• Learn more about the forest: On the forest page on our website, you can learn more about the forest where your tree grows
• Value increase: Follow the financial development of your tree(s)
• Annual forestry report: The annual report gives you an idea of the bigger picture. How are we progressing when it comes to maintaining and enhancing Europe’s forests?
• Stay up to date with EcoTree: Follow our social media and sign up for the newsletter for updates on our work!

What do you need to do?

The only thing you need to do is to activate your gift. In order to do that, you simply create an EcoTree account or log in to your existing account and enter the gift code you received.
Once your profile is created, we recommend you to fill out the profile details, such as your trusted third-party and your IBAN number. This is to make sure you or a loved one will be able to receive the profits once the tree is felled and the wood is sold as sustainably grown timber.

We hope that your tree gift will bring you joy for many years to come. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact our team. And if you enjoyed the gift, maybe it’s your turn to give someone else a tree and spread the EcoTree message?