Give the gift of sustainability

As you come to the top of the trail and the clearing comes into view you take a deep breath, marveling at the beauty of nature. It's been a long hike but this is your favorite spot to camp at so it was worth it. The lake sparkles in the midday sun and your mouth begins to water as you think about the fresh fish you will catch for dinner. As you make the descent to your campground area you can't help but feel at peace with the world. Something crackling under your foot brings you out of your reverie.

You've stepped on a potato chip bag. It's colorful branding sticks out against the dirt of the trail, glaring up at you, accusing you of disturbing it. Looking around the camp sight you notice a pop bottle lodged in your favorite tree and what appears to be plastic toilet paper covering half burned in the fire pit. Clearly the last campers were not very responsible; you just hope they dug an appropriate hole for bathroom time.

Dropping your pack and removing a cloth bag designated for trash on these trips, you pick up all the litter you can find; silently cursing your fellow humans and wishing your spot was hidden from them as you go. Luckily this does not put you too far behind schedule. You gather some wood, set up your tent, and head down to the lake to get some fishing going.

As you sit there waiting for the fish to bite, you again take in the beauty of the area. The air is fresh and thick with the natural smell of pine. The trees seem to stretch on forever, untouched by humans and full of wildlife. You wish you could stay here forever, living off the land and away from everything. For now, the most you can do is help get trees planted.

Taking in your haul you start a fire, season your fish, place them on the travel grate you have brought to act as your grill and set up your hammock in your favorite spot. You can't help but feel good about yourself. When you bought the hammock, the organization planted 2 trees. Their website also opened your eyes to another organization that allowed you to plant more trees and help sustain forest gardening for families who rely on it. This hammock really makes you feel good about camping, and serves as a reminder that, while hauling your trash back out can suck, it no excuse.

If you are an avid outdoors person than of course you know I am referring to Madera Outdoor and Trees for the Future. Madera started in my home state of Wyoming so they are near and dear to me. Their mission is simple:

"We are an Organization that works to establish commitment to spirit, nature and service. Doing Good is our motive and we want all who are involved with us to feel of the spirit known to Jackson Hole."...

"Because it takes 2 trees to hang a hammock, Madera plants 2 trees for each hammock sold. Through our partnering with Trees for the Future, to date we have planted over 10,255 trees and counting. Together, we are improving the livelihoods of impoverished farmers by revitalizing degraded lands. Since 1989, with our partner's (trees.org) experience in planting over 115 million trees all over the world, we have demonstrated the transformative power of trees in helping people break out of the poverty trap while also addressing the global environment. Our goal is to raise awareness about our solution to solve hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation."

Trees for the Future goes beyond just planting

The Problem:

We lose trees at a rate of 50 soccer fields per minute as our food systems destroy our ecosystems. Most of this degradation occurs in the developing tropics of Africa, Latin America, and South and Southeast Asia where hundreds of millions of chronically-hungry, smallholder farming families uknowingly use destructive and short-sighted agricultural practices that further degrade their communities trees, soil, water and biodiversity, making them even more likely to migrate and more vulnerable to the climate changes that lie ahead. It becomes a cycle.

Our Solution:

The Forest Garden Program is a simple, replicable, and scalable approach with proven success. How? It starts with trees. Through our 4-year training program, called the Forest Garden Approach, farmers plant thousands of trees that protect and bring nutrients back to the soil. This helps farmers grow a variety of fruits and vegetables. Forest Garden farmers gain increases in income and access to food, even in the first year, all while improving the environment.

Madera hammocks are a wonderful gift for your outdoorsy friends that love to hike. For your not so active but eco-conscious friends, why not think about planting a few trees in their honor? That might sound like a lazy gift to some, but many would consider it super thoughtful. I even have something for your ocean crazed friend.

Meet 4Ocean. Based out of Florida, their missions is:

"We’re here to clean the ocean and coastlines while working to stop the inflow of plastic by changing consumption habits."'

They work specifically to clean and recycle plastic that litters the oceans and destroys precious ecosystems. It started with bracelets. Each bracelet is a pound of plastic removed and each month is a different animal theme. From there they have greatly expanded and now offer monthly subscription boxes, apparel, drink ware, reusable grocery bags and more!

So for those hard to shop for friends, those friends that always recycle and that one friend that seems to always find the time to hit the trail, consider a gift that will bring you both pride and do some good for the world.