The Mission
Saving the planet, one tree at a time
The Fight Against Climate Change
The global climate change crisis is the largest threat to humankind and other living beings today. This is not debatable, it's a scientific fact!
In most cases, traveling from one country to another requires one to use some sort of transportation that burns fossil fuels (oil, gas, etc.). The burning of those fossil fuels emits carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, which is known to be the largest contributor to the global warming crisis.
Climate experts agree that planting trees is one of the best possible ways to reduce the amount of CO2 in the air. Trees feed off the CO2 they capture from the air, the water in the ground, and the soil surrounding them. In the process of turning CO2 into wood, trees release oxygen into the air that we breath. This natural process, known as photosynthesis, results in less CO2 in the atmosphere, effectively impeding the rate of global warming.
The Reforestation of Iceland
At the time of settlement in Iceland, it is believed that 25-30% of the land was covered with trees of some sorts. It is believed that excessive forestry during the settlement era and onwards, saw Iceland's forests disappear. Today only a small fraction of the land is covered with trees and hopes are that in 40 years from now, that number will have risen up to 2.5%.
We hope to be able to help reach that number earlier and hopefully make it a lot higher 40 years from now.
The Fight Against Soil Erosion in Iceland
One of the biggest environmental issue and threat in Iceland is soil erosion. According to studies, only 11% of Iceland has little or no soil erosion.
After settlement, Iceland's landscape changed pretty quickly. With most of the trees gone the soil had less binding and with the heavy winds that often distinguish Iceland, vegetation had harder time to settle in and the soil eroded.
Today, the effects of soil erosion can be seen in many places in Iceland with entire root systems appearing above ground. One of our missions is to help fight soil erosion by planting trees that bind the soil better and shelter other vegetation to help it settle it's roots.