Why Ecosia and trees?
“It’s about the climate, the forests, the fact that from a tree you can make and harvest many products. Ecosia is based in Germany and operates internationally, cooperating with universities, local organisations and NGOs. Trees capture CO2 every day and thus help to prevent global warming. They also protect wildlife, regulate the water cycle, hold nutrients in the soil, increase biodiversity and provide local communities with forest products such as fruit and nuts.
“Ecosia focuses on planting trees in vulnerable biodiversity hotspots, bird migration routes and environmental crisis areas. They work with local partners who grow the trees in these areas. Once the trees are in the ground, Ecosia continues to work with the partners, monitoring the growth of the trees through satellite technology and field visits. The trees are always indigenous and endangered species that increase biodiversity; no imported or invasive species. Mixed forests are more beneficial than sterile monocultures.”
Ecosia does not plant trees in the Netherlands. Isn’t that something we should pay attention to here in Amsterdam, and at our university?
“Ecosia’s planting scheme and objectives are not something we at the Green Office can influence. That being said, we stand by their choice to focus on vulnerable areas and countries, as they are the most prone to deforestation. The Netherlands is less affected by deforestation. Moreover, other countries stand to benefit more; the Netherlands is already a developed country and has the capacity and money to do this on its own.”
How does tree planting contribute to the food system?
“Farmers plant trees to strengthen biodiverse ecosystems. You can see it like this: the focus used to be on growing as much food as possible in the shortest possible time. Now we’re trying to prevent soil depletion and the large-scale clearing of forests around the world, which is, unfortunately, still happening. But instead of focusing on the negative, you can also look at what you can do. And that is planting trees. Of course, you need to know which trees grow best where, and where they can most benefit the environment and the local community. Just planting trees without knowing what that does for the ecosystem is not the right approach. Trees can protect the soil from wind erosion. The roots act as an underground filter system that prevents heavy rainfall from eroding the soil. They also hold atmospheric nitrogen in the soil, making it more fertile and reducing farmers’ dependence on fertilisers. Tree leaves provide shade for crops, and when they fall to the ground and decompose, they create biomass, which improves soil fertility. Many trees also produce fruit, nuts, medicines, resins and gums, which increase and diversify farmers’ incomes, while sequestering carbon from the atmosphere.
“Beyond that, trees provide for a sense of health and happiness. When you stroll through a forest and your eyes see the structure of trunks, leaves and branches—rather than a computer screen—it helps you relax. There’s a reason taking a walk in nature is good for our health as well as our minds.”
Green Office VU: raising awareness of sustainability
The Ecosia Challenge is an ongoing project of the Green Office VU. The Green Office is a platform for and by students aiming to raise student awareness of sustainability and make the university more sustainable. They draw attention to sustainability in education, share research articles and academic publications, and initiate projects on campus such as collecting plastic bottles and paper coffee cups. They also organise events, social media campaigns and external partnerships.
If half of the VU community used Ecosia and performed an average of four searches a day, after one academic year 280,000 trees could have been planted and 12,600,000 kilograms of CO2 removed from the air. This equates to 32% of the university’s footprint in a single academic year.
Would you like to participate? Download Ecosia on your telefoon, laptop and desktop.
The Ecosia Challenge is linked to three SDG's:
- SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities
- SDG 13: Climate action
- SDG 15: Life on land
