The San Ramon Carbon Neutral Foundation has partnered with other global organizations to develop a movement that seeks to provide healing and hope to people through planting trees. The objective of the initiative is that each person who has lost a family member, friend or an acquaintance due to the pandemic, plant a tree, and take care of it, in memory of the person they loved.
The global movement intends that as a society we mourn such significant losses, with a global planting exercise to take place on May 4th, 2022. The project also promotes the importance of mental health care, vaccination processes and the application of hygiene and prevention protocols as measures to contain the ongoing pandemic. This movement accompanies all those people who have lost a loved one and gives them the opportunity to create a memorial through the meaningful action of planting a tree.
“We know that COVID 19 has struck the hearts of all people, and that it has been a very difficult process to cope with. What we seek with Healing Trees is to unite at least for one day, forget our differences and transform ourselves into a society of peace, solidarity and love, under the same objective: to find healing and comfort guided by the hope of a better future,” explained José Zaglul, director of Healing Trees.
Healing Trees found a way to connect the environmental change that our planet needs, with the opportunity to generate a space of healing and regeneration for our communities. “A tree is a representation of life, regeneration and growth. By honoring loss with life, the initiative will provide a memorial for people. In Healing Trees, we are looking for a real and responsible impact, where we can give the planted tree the necessary maintenance during its first years of development,” explained Zaglul.
Another reason why trees were chosen as a symbol is to preserve the environment and improve the conditions of the planet. The project promotes responsible planting, with a commitment of at least 3 years in taking care of the tree. Healing Trees promotes endemic species, mainly fruit varieties that contribute to global food security.
Interested participants should visit the Healing Trees website and complete the form to commit to plant one or several trees or donate for organizations to handle the planting process. A livestream of the global planting event will be shown through the Healing Trees’ Facebook and Instagram.
Healing Trees is led by the Costa Rican San Ramon Carbon Neutral Foundation, and is supported by Battle Creek Community Foundation, Mastercard Foundation, Cummins Inc, the Government of Costa Rica, Catalyst2030 and many other organizations. Under the goal of planting more than 5 million trees, this movement unites organizations, families, media, public figures, and individuals.