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Lauren O’Donnell, Greenpop’s co-founder and MD, presented Trees for Travel during a visual presentation. She also introduced three speakers: Chris van Zeyl, group environmental manager and horticulturist of the Vineyard Hotel; Eddie Redelinghuys, director of Reliance Compost; and Heidi van der Watt, director of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, MD of Edge Tourism Solutions, and director of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism. Van Zeyl explained the Vineyard Hotel’s pioneering green initiatives; Redelinghuys spoke about carbon neutrality and how Reliance uses a percentage of its carbon credit income to support other greening projects like Greenpop.

The evening’s main speaker, Van der Watt, presented trends in ecotourism and spoke about the market’s growing demand for sustainable travel options. “Research amongst some of South Africa’s overseas tourism markets show that most tourists are willing to change their behaviour on holiday to help the environment, but they also want hotels and holiday companies to be more environmentally responsible,” she explained. “With Trees for Travel, guests can give the beautiful planet they love to explore a bit of breathing space – one tree at a time.”

New green app

Greenpop and Reliance Compost also introduced “Green Up”, a new green app that assesses your carbon footprint level and gives advice on how to live more sustainably.

Trees for Travel allows companies in the travel industry to offer their clients the option of adding a tree to what they’re booking. Greenpop will plant the trees as part of its urban greening and reforestation projects, and the company’s clients will get a certificate with the GPS co-ordinates of their tree, so that they know exactly where their tree is growing.

It’s a simple way for people to help compensate for the carbon they’ll be using on their flight and/or trip – and it’s an easy way for airlines, bus companies, bookings websites, hotels, lodges, and tour companies to add some green to their business.

Trees for Travel can also apply to companies outside of the travel industry who would like to help offset their business travel. A company could, for instance, sponsor a tree for each flight one of its employees takes for business purposes.

In return for a company’s support, Greenpop offers positive marketing and PR value through exposure on its website and social media channels, and invitations to its events.

A tree costs R100 (prices in different currencies can be provided), which includes:

The tree, compost, organic fertiliser, mulch;
The logistics around planting the tree;
The monitoring of the tree as part of the sustainability programme; and
An environmental education programme at the beneficiary location (in the case of Greenpop’s urban greening projects)

If companies prefer to give clients a tangible take away, Greenpop also has Tree Rings (tree-shaped key ring with a unique code that represents a tree, which cost R120 each).

“Trees for Travel is a fun way for the travel industry to go a little bit greener,” said Lauren O’Donnell, Greenpop’s MD. “It doesn’t cost companies anything because it’s their clients who can choose to buy a tree, and it’s a simple and tangible greening option to offer travellers. Greenpop believes that going green starts with the small things – every tree counts and so each tree added to a trip will contribute towards making a big difference. Trees for Travel has been very well received so far and we look forward to getting many more tour companies and lodges to join our Treevolution.”

Since its establishment in 2010, and its expansion to Zambia in 2012, Greenpop has planted over 27 000 trees in over 250 beneficiary schools, crèches, and community centres, as well as in deforested areas around South Africa and Zambia. Greenpop’s aim is to spread its projects all over sub-Saharan Africa and inspire a “Treevolution” throughout the continent.

For more, go to www.greenpop.org.