One Tree Planted
Think Human Fund
Mission & History
One Tree Planted is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded with a clear vision: to provide individuals and businesses a simple way to make a real impact. Since 2014, the organization has planted over 135 million trees. Their mission focuses on reforestation to restore forests degraded by human activities or environmental disasters.
Country Information
La Veta, Colorado, USA
The Need
This initiative is part of a larger effort to replant 2 million trees in Colorado, which were lost during recent fires (2018-2021). This marks the largest conservation-based reforestation effort in Colorado’s history. The state has faced three of its largest fires in the past four years, resulting in over 200,000 hectares of loss. Issues such as high stand densities, fuel-loading from severe pine tree mortality due to bark beetles, and extremely arid conditions have exacerbated the situation.
The Project We Fund
The objective of the Post-fire Reforestation project is to restore areas affected by the historic Spring Creek Fire. Targeted areas have low potential for natural regeneration, and the planted trees will provide much-needed relief. This restoration aims to mitigate tree loss, conserve biodiversity, and reduce carbon loss in trees and soil.
The Result
Once trees are planted, One Tree Planted requires 3 years of active care and 5 years of monitoring. Their experts track tree survivability and make adjustments for higher-risk areas. Utilizing GIS, drones, and satellite imagery as their foundation for monitoring impact, they continually incorporate new technologies to enhance their results.
Reforestation not only contributes to ecological restoration but also offers community benefits, including improving health, supporting indigenous project ownership, and encouraging sustainable income generation. Restoring these areas will help mitigate massive erosion in forest and riparian zones caused by the fires.
