Greenpop is a South-African non-profit organization is responsible for planting 17,000 trees in Zambia since opening its doors in late 2010. Many parts of Zambia’s rainforest have been devastated because of reckless farming and detrimental living practices.

In 2012 Greenpop launched Trees for Zambia, a 21 daylong eco-awareness project that’s goal is to educate Zambians about deforestation, climate change, environmental sustainability, and green energy alternatives. In 2012 Greenpop’s Trees For Zambia and its 200 volunteers planted 4135 over a 3-week period. This year’s Trees for Zambia 2013 project aims to plant 5000 trees over the same 21-day period. Founded by 3 friends, Misha Teasdale, Lauren O’Donnell, and Jeremy Hewitt, Greenpop was originally conceived as a means to offset carbon emissions through the planting of trees, but has grown into an entire social awareness project. 

Unsustainable farming practices coupled with harmful traditional cooking and heating techniques have plagued the Zambian Rainforest for the past 30 years. Slashing and burning, monocropping, and highly acidic fertilizers have led to extensive deforestation and soil deterioration throughout Zambia. Traditional methods of cooking and heating involve the use of charcoal cut from trees.

Greenpop: Trees for Zambia’s mission is as much about education as it is about reforestation. Greenpop is educating Zambians about the negative long-term environmental impacts of reckless farming practices, and traditional heating and cooking methods. Greenpop is hosting a series of workshops throughout July that will educate and inform Zambians about sustainable farming and environmentally conscious land management. In addition to educating the public about proper farming techniques, Greenpop gives out solar cookers to residents as a sustainable alternative to cooking with charcoal.

Greenpop: Trees for Zambia 2013 is entering its third and final week of the project. You can get involved yourself by planting trees, gifting trees, or volunteering. Greenpop is constantly monitoring recently planted trees, searching for new plantation sites, and in 2013 hopes to launch a more extensive solar awareness project. For more information visit greenpop.org.

Did you get your free issue of the Intelligent Optimist?  Click here for a free download.

Photo: flickr.com/A.Davey