Full potential is never delivered in isolation

The events of 2025 have shown starkly that we are living through a climate and nature crisis that is pushing the planet to the brink. Rising temperatures, more frequent floods and droughts and accelerating biodiversity loss are placing unprecedented pressure on both ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.

At the International Tree Foundation, planting trees is central to our response to the climate crisis. Trees stabilise soils, regulate water, capture carbon and provide habitats for wildlife. Working alongside communities to grow and plant the right trees, in the right places, remains at the heart of our mission and has done for more than a century.

But trees rarely deliver their full potential in isolation. Across our programmes, tree planting is integrated into a wider set of activities designed to strengthen livelihoods, build resilience and restore ecosystems in ways that endure. Community-run nurseries generate income and local ownership. Agroforestry improves soil health while increasing food production and farm incomes. Fruit and fodder trees support nutrition and livestock. In drylands and degraded forests, water harvesting, soil restoration and careful site management underpin long-term survival.

Alongside this, our work brings in practical solutions that improve daily life while reducing pressure on forests. These include fuel-efficient ecostoves that need less firewood and improve air quality. Kitchen gardens that strengthen food security. And enterprises such as beekeeping and coffee nurseries that create new income streams. In some of the most marginalised communities, including those working with people living with disabilities, trees are part of a broader pathway to dignity, inclusion and economic independence.

Care and quality underpin all of this work. We invest in appropriate species selection, good site preparation, post-planting care and ongoing monitoring, using both community-led approaches and new technologies. This allows us to learn continuously and adapt in the face of a changing climate.

As climate impacts intensify, the need for restoration that is thoughtful, locally led and built to last has never been greater. Our work tells the story of trees planted with purpose, alongside the practical actions that help them grow, bringing lasting prosperity for people and nature.

Join the restoration movement

Locally led, grassroots action plants fast and lasting change. Join the restoration movement today and help plant trees where they are needed most.