Frequently asked Questions
Here you find typical frequenly asked questions and the answers.
How exactly do trees help people?
There are many ways that trees are beneficial to both people and the environment: Trees are habitat for biodiversity; Trees create much of the planet’s oxygen; and, Trees help combat climate change – the list is nearly limitless, but we focus on the role trees play in agroforestry and in helping farming families improve their land quality and productivity.
What are some types of trees you plant?
Farmers in our programs grow a variety trees, thorny trees, fruit trees and hardwoods to create their Forest Garden. On our project you can choose your tree you will like to plant. We recommend fruit trees who have an economic impact for the farmers, like mango trees, avocado trees, jack fruit trees, banana trees, papaya trees, coconut tees, etc..
Who is doing the planting?
The communities do their own planting – and who actually plants, differs between all our projects. In most cases the farmers / landowners will do the planting. Mostly we will do the planting or supervise the planting, We capture the coordinates of each tree, take picture of the tree and do the documentation.
Can I offset my Carbon?
Absolutely. Trees4Bali will help you to calculate your carbon emissions and determine the number of trees needed to achieve carbon neutrality. Each tree planted sequesters an average of 15kg / 34 lbs carbon annually. Donation payments to offset your carbon footprint can be made on an annual basis with new carbon calculations also conducted at this time.
Where are the trees planted?
Trees were plantet on the Indonesian Island of Bali. We work with farmers, landowners, smallholders, community groups, councils, schools, colleges and other landowners to co-ordinate hundreds of planting sites to accommodate trees each year. We will try to find poor farmers who will have a benefit from the trees.
At the moment we support a framer family in Tabanan Region in Bali.
When does the planting take place?
We try plant your tress as soon as possible after a tree donation is done. But it could take 2 – 8 weeks till we can plant the tree cause of weather condition and seasonal situation. Trees4Bali will take care the planting and will make the appointment with the local farmer or landowner.
Who carries out maintenance and long term management?
The trees are looked after by the landowners & farmers accommodating them. We give out advice on pruning, weeding, coppicing, thinning and managing the trees both as they establish and into the future. We stay in contact with farmers, landowners to monitor establishment via surveys, phone calls and site visits. The project encourages very low-impact establishment and management with minimal ground preparation or drainage, minimum use of guards and stakes and weeding only where necessary and without chemical sprays. We ask landowners not to use glyphosate based or other chemical weed-killers on any of the sites. We encourage hand weeding or mulching of trees if necessary to control weeds. Longer grass, brambles, nettles, thistles and docks compete with young trees for nutrients and light, however they also provide shelter and deter grazing animals while the trees establish strong roots.
Are the trees protected?
We work with landowners to establish continuous tree and woodland cover that will be managed in a sustainable fashion for many generations. We encourage all of our landowners and farmers to engage closely with the management of their trees and to use the resources provided. We encourage all farmers not to cut the tree for the next 30 – 50 years. Most trees will grow forever.
However, many of our projects will see selected trees thinned, coppiced in future years, some trees will grow old and die or blow down in storms, or burn in forest fire, others may be attacked by pests and diseases. Mature trees drop seed and/or put up new growth from the roots; continuous cover management allows constant regeneration so there should always be trees on the sites originally planted. We try to plant young trees which are about 1 m high. These trees are already strong enough and can grow very fast. We do all we can to encourage and support strong biodiversity in and around the trees and woodlands planted by Trees on the land.
Are the planting sites open to the public?
Most of the tree planting sites are located on farm land and other private land and are not open to the public. But as a sponsor of a tree you are welcome to visit your tree anytime. Trees planted at community sites and on council owned land are generally easily accessible to local people and the general public.
Can I visit my sponsored tree?
Of course! To see first-hand the benefit of your donations, please contact us to start a dialogue with our team. While we cannot fund your visit, we are more than willing to work with you to organize a site visit during your trip.
Who owns the land and who owns the trees?
The land remains the property of the land owner; we do not own or formally lease any of the planting sites. All trees given out as part of the project become the property of the landowner on agreement that they will be sustainably managed under continuous cover as a long term resource. Farmers own the land and the trees on them. They do the labor and provide the land and water are responsible for caring for them. The landowner will always honor and respect your tree sponsorship. Sponsors have the right to visit their tree anytime or by appointment.
Who takes the profits from harvested trees?
Any profits generated by the trees go to the landowner. The fruits well help the farmer to generate a additional income. We aim to demonstrate that trees and woodlands managed sustainably are economically viable and worth looking after.
Why plant trees on farms?
Productive land is always a priority on working farms, but there are many places where trees can be established on farms without impacting significantly on either arable or pasture acreages. While there isn’t always space to establish a large woodland, every farm has space for a few trees, in the corners of fields, along drives and tracks, or around the house and farm buildings.
Trees provide many useful resources and services to farms including shelter and shade for livestock, soil protection and improvement, biodiversity support for wild plants and animals, nutrient and rainwater interruption and absorption, and fruit and nut supplies.
Why are trees good?
Almost everyone is aware that trees are a good thing and that deforestation has a damaging impact on the environment. The global environment and the ecosystems it contains provide important services and resources called Ecosystem Services; these are generally detailed under the following categories of Provisioning Services, Regulating and Supporting Services and Cultural Services.
Trees and woodlands provide many different and vital ecosystem services:
Provisioning Services: Trees and woodlands provide timber for building, carpentry and paper making and also wood-fuel and biomass fuel resources. Woodlands and individual trees provide habitat for many different species of plants, insects, animals, birds and other living things. They all rely upon and in turn contribute to the ecosystems they inhabit. Fruit and nut trees provide a food source not just for humans but also for birds, animals and other creatures.
Regulating and Supporting Services: Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and give out oxygen and thus play a vital role in regulating the air that we breathe. Trees store carbon from the carbon dioxide absorbed and regulate the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. Trees absorb rainwater and can help to reduce and prevent flooding. Tree roots also bind improve and protect the soil where they are planted preventing soil erosion from wind, rain and flooding. Trees absorb excess nutrients from the soil especially from agricultural processes and prevent these nutrients from polluting local streams and rivers. Trees add moisture to the atmosphere and play a vital role in cloud production, thus further cooling the earth, and helping to mitigate global warming.
Cultural services: Trees and woodlands provide valuable social, aesthetic and cultural benefits. Woodlands are popular with both tourists and local communities as a leisure and recreational amenity. Trees also provide cultural, educational and employment opportunities through the learning and practice of forestry, woodworking, building and carpentry skills as well as other traditional techniques and crafts.
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity (or Biological Diversity) is, most simply, the variety of life on earth. All agriculture, forest, freshwater and marine resources depend on biodiversity. Biodiversity includes all living things, from bacteria and earthworms and bees to foxes and birds and trees. The biodiversity we see today is a result of millions of years of natural selection. Biodiversity includes diversity of species, genetic diversity within species and diversity of habitats and is measured under the following headings:
Species: The variety of different species in an ecosystem or habitat. Most ecosystems support a wide variety of species, each species having its own niche.
Genetic: This is the variation between individuals of the same species. A higher genetic variation within a species allows the species to better adapt to changing conditions.
Ecosystems: The variety of ecosystems on earth, such as woodlands, wetlands, rivers and lakes. No ecosystem is entirely alone, they are all inter-connected. A healthy ecosystem with a large degree of biodiversity provides a wide range of natural ‘services’ or benefits. They range from protection of water resources, soil formation, nutrient storage and recycling, contribution to climatic stability, food production, wood production and medicinal resources.
The earth functions like an incredibly complex machine; if the components start to vanish, it will not function effectively. Humans cannot survive without the interconnected complex of lifeforms that form the ecosystems which we depend upon.
How can I volunteer?
We are a small team, so working with many volunteers is tricky as yet – however, we do have several virtual teams who support us directly with spreading campaigns, research, social media support, creative design work etc and that sisterhood is growing. It is amazing for us to know what gifts you most want to offer, that bring you to life and that you can see would support a small team to deliver on our mission more effectively. If you would like to apply to volunteer, please contact us with ‘Volunteering’ in the subject line, and we will send you our questionnaire to get started – and thank you for your passion!
How much does it cost to plant a tree?
The cost per tree varies widely between different tree types and land location. For instance with our current projects a single tree costs about USD 40 – 56 due to many different factors such as –
- the species being planted and levels of care needed to germinate and grow it.
- whether volunteers or paid employees are growing, planting and protecting the trees
- costs of all planting materials and wages
- whether the land to be planted needs significant preparation
- survival of the saplings if threatened by flood, drought, disease and replanting costs
- additional installations like stick, drip irrigation infrastructure to ensure survival.
- protection, monitoring and evaluation costs and complexity
- training programs to the farmers / landowners
- health and education programs that are often combined with tree planting
- issues of land ownership and governance, such as securing the rights of the land
In summary,
We choose our projects based upon our strategy and due diligence process not based on the cost of planting a tree.
What is include of a tree sponsorship at Trees4Bali
Your tree sponsorship includes:
- Project start
- Secure payment transaction (by Stripe for all major credit cards )
- Certificate for the tree
- Rearing the seedlings
- Planting the tree
- Handover to local farmers
- Care of the tree and maintenance
- Training the farmers
- Assign a unique ID for each tree and entry in our tree registry
- Capture the coordinates of each tree
- Documentation, reporting & photos for surveillance
- Annual checks and reports
- Communication with farmer and the sponsors
- On request, a sign with your name will be attached to the tree
- Free e-book: Think Green
We provide all time transparency. You are also welcome to visit your tree anytime.
All planted trees are photographed, geolocated and monitored by Trees4Bali over time.
Is the transaction / payment save?
Yes, we use Stripe as payment partner. It is secure and save. We don’t see any details. Millions of businesses of all sizes—from startups to large enterprises—use Stripe’s software and APIs to accept payments. You can also choose PayPal for your paymen if you wish. All payment systems offers customer protections.
Can I visit and see my tree?
Yes, off cause. As soon we have planted your tree you will get all details (addresse, geo cordinates, name of farmer, pictures, etc.) and you can visut your tree anytime.
We can also arrange for you transport to your tree. Let us know.
How can I get my tree?
Choose your tree and the amount of trees in our TREE SHOP, purchase, checkout and proceed the payment (with a secure payment transaction by Stripe. We accept all major credit cards). If you like to use PayPal you can buy here your tree. (You can get a tree for a onetime payment of 40 – 60 USD). You can select if you like to add a small wooden sign with your name on it 8or any sponsor message).
After the payment you can download a certificate and you will receive an email with receipt and further details.
Your tree will be planted promptly (subject to weather and seasonal conditions).
After the planting, you will receive an e-mail with photo documentation, the position and address of the tree and the planting date.
We provide all time transparency. You are also welcome to visit your tree anytime. All Trees will be monitored from time to time by Trees4Bali.
If you have more questions, please let us know.