Our Reforestation Project

Forests cover 31% of our planet’s surface area. They produce oxygen and shelter for communities and wildlife. According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, humans are responsible for destroying 7.4 million hectares of forests annually, equivalent to the size of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg altogether. Since the beginning, at SAYE we have strived to fight against deforestation by collaborating with several NGOs in four different continents, and ensuring that every time a pair of sneakers was purchased, two trees were planted.

But this is not only about planting trees and fighting against climate change. Our Social and Planting Project empowers local communities, gives them a purpose, helps fight against poverty, and restores full ecosystems, allowing insects, animals, and even endangered species to rewild areas that were otherwise going to be completely wiped out of the map. All in all, the projects in which SAYE has participated help meet 13 of the 17 United Nations sustainable development goals.

Discover our Projects

Since 2018, we’ve planted trees in various projects around the globe, in Australia, India, Africa, the Amazon and Canada. To do such, we’ve partnered with several NGOs such as One Tree Planted, Saving the Amazon, WeForest, and now Veritree. Take a look at all our planting efforts:

Copperbelt Forests, Zambia

High poverty, unemployment and a strong charcoal industry make the Copperbelt province one of the most deforested in all Africa. Since 2018, we helped bring back Copperbelt Forests by engaging smallholder farmers in reversing deforestation by carrying forest friendly businesses such as beekeeping and agroforestry. Together with Weforest, we’ve fund the growth of 268,804 trees in the forests of Zambia.

Khasi Hills, India

We are supporting local Khasi communities to regenerate India’s Cloud Forest using a method called Assisted Natural Regeneration. This means accelerating the natural recovery of degraded forest areas by replanting indigenous trees species. These are planted out in forest gaps to help the forest regain its ecological functionality. Together with Weforest, we’ve planted 30,326 trees in Khasi Hills Cloud Forest between 2018 and 2023.

SW Catchments, Australia

In December 2019 and January 2020, right after a huge wildfire that burned hundreds of acres in Australia, we collaborated with One Tree Planted to plant 1,982 trees and help support the Australia South West Catchments project. Planted in the Australian winter of 2020, this project involves creating a habitat for threatened species and improving the condition of Ramsar-listed wetlands of international significance.

Vaupés Indigenous Reservation, Amazon

The Amazon is vital to combat the climate crisis since it contains 30% of the world's biodiversity and has the largest carbon reserve on the planet. In August and September 2019, we fund the growth of 248 trees in the Tayazú community, in the Great Vaupés Indigenous Reservation of the Amazon with the NGO Saving the Amazon, to empower the local communities and help compensate for the wildfires that happened earlier in 2019.

Kwale & Kilifi, Coastal Kenya

Coastal Kenya is one of the least developed regions of the country. These communities are dependent on the mangrove ecosystems for employment and nutrition. The destruction of the mangrove forests also contributed to the loss of critical habitats for many organisms. In restoring the estuary, which is rich in biodiversity, this project will provide fishing grounds for local people and contributes to breaking the poverty cycle.

Regenerative Agroforestry, Tanzania

Cotton farming plays an important role in the sub-Saharan African economy and is critical in the fight against rural poverty. Together with Veritree, we will be supporting local farmers to produce sustainable cotton in a regenerative agroforestry system. Additional benefits include an improvement in farmers’ livelihoods and soil quality, increase in cotton yield and restoring native ecosystems for biodiversity to thrive.

Pacific Coast BC, Canada

Globally, over 40 percent of kelp forests have declined over the past five decades as a result of climate change, overexploitation, and pollution. These towering underwater forests harbour thousands of marine species, providing food and shelter, much like forests on land. With our partners Veritree and Ocean Wise, we will be restoring kelp forests along the Pacific coasts of British Columbia, Canada and Chile starting this June 2024.

Discover our Projects

Copperbelt Forests, Zambia

High poverty, unemployment and a strong charcoal industry make the Copperbelt province one of the most deforested in all Africa. Since 2018, we helped bring back Copperbelt Forests by engaging smallholder farmers in reversing deforestation by carrying forest friendly businesses such as beekeeping and agroforestry. Together with Weforest, we’ve fund the growth of 268,804 trees in Zambia.

Khasi Hills, India

We are supporting local Khasi communities to regenerate India’s Cloud Forest using a method called Assisted Natural Regeneration. This means accelerating the natural recovery of degraded forest areas by replanting indigenous trees species. These are planted out in forest gaps to help the forest regain its ecological functionality. Together with Weforest, we’ve planted 30,326 trees in Khasi Hills Cloud Forest between 2018 and 2023.

SW Catchments, Australia

In December 2019 and January 2020, right after a huge wildfire that burned hundreds of acres in Australia, we collaborated with One Tree Planted to plant 1,982 trees and help support the Australia South West Catchments project. Planted in the Australian winter of 2020, this project involves creating a habitat for threatened species and improving the condition of Ramsar-listed wetlands of international significance.

Vaupés Indigenous Reservation, Amazon

The Amazon is vital to combat the climate crisis since it contains 30% of the world's biodiversity and has the largest carbon reserve on the planet. In August and September 2019, we fund the growth of 248 trees in the Tayazú community, in the Great Vaupés Indigenous Reservation of the Amazon with the NGO Saving the Amazon, to empower the local communities and help compensate for the wildfires that happened earlier in 2019. 

Kwale & Kilifi, Coastal Kenya

Coastal Kenya is one of the least developed regions of the country. These communities are dependent on the mangrove ecosystems for employment and nutrition. The destruction of the mangrove forests also contributed to the loss of critical habitats for many organisms. In restoring the estuary, which is rich in biodiversity, this project will provide fishing grounds for local people and contributes to breaking the poverty cycle.

Regenerative Agroforestry, Tanzania

Cotton farming plays an important role in the sub-Saharan African economy and is critical in the fight against rural poverty. Together with Veritree, we will be supporting local farmers to produce sustainable cotton in a regenerative agroforestry system. Additional benefits include an improvement in farmers’ livelihoods and soil quality, increase in cotton yield and restoring native ecosystems for biodiversity to thrive.

Pacific Coast BC, Canada

Globally, over 40 percent of kelp forests have declined over the past five decades as a result of climate change, overexploitation, and pollution. These towering underwater forests harbour thousands of marine species, providing food and shelter, much like forests on land. With our partners Veritree and Ocean Wise, we will be restoring kelp forests along the Pacific coasts of British Columbia, Canada and Chile starting this June 2024.