A forest full of neon green trees in Kenya
Oct 20, 2024
Since the launch of neon green in 2021, we have already planted over four million trees. Since 2022, we have been planting some of these trees in our own neon forests. In this blog, we explain the history of our neon forests and how they work.
Eden: People + Planet has been our trusted tree-planting partner since the launch of neon green – we've already planted over four million trees with the non-profit organisation since then. With its initiatives, Eden: People + Planet not only rebuilds the planet through reforestation, but also provides sustainable and lasting support for local people. You can read more about our collaboration here. And you can find the certificates for the planted trees here.
The history of our neon forest
2022: Two neon forests
One year after the launch of neon green, we reached an incredible milestone: 1 million trees planted! To celebrate this achievement, in April 2022 we started planting trees at so-called «Shared Designated Planting Sites». This means that some of the trees will be planted in neon forests.
Our first sites were «La Vallee DP» in Haiti and «Ankarafantsika 3» in Madagascar.
2023: Why we had to leave Haiti
Due to the unstable political climate in Haiti, it was no longer safe for Eden to continue planting from April 2023. The project was finally handed over to local authorities on 30 June 2023, who will continue to care for and protect the 319'880 trees we planted.
2024: Our trip to Tudor Creek in Kenya
In 2024, we decided to see for ourselves what a neon forest looks like. In October, two neon employees and a neon green user, Arnaud, travelled to Tudor Creek in Kenya – an impressive experience! We had pre-collected the questions from our neon green community to Eden and could even livestream their answers from the mangrove plantation, feet in the mud!
Our visit to the site left a deep impression on us: we were able to see with our own eyes the positive impact that Eden is having in Kenya – on the environment and on the local community. The combination of sustainable reforestation and the promotion of socio-economic development shows how effective and holistic the work on the ground is.
But don't just take our word for it! Click here for the detailed report and vlog from our employees Michèle and Mathias. And here you can read the blog article written by our neon green user Arnaud, who accompanied us on our trip.
2024: The evolution of Eden
That same year, our long-standing tree-planting partner Eden underwent a transformation, moving away from a focus on reforestation and adopting a more comprehensive approach. This includes, for example, compliance with additional international standards – such as the Principles for Forest Restoration – the expansion of objectives to include other environmental aspects (e.g. biodiversity) and socio-economic indicators (income diversification). This strategic realignment entails a number of changes, including higher reporting standards (and thus more resources).
In this context, Eden decided to temporarily discontinue its cooperation with the local tree-planting organisation that manages the «Ankarafantsika 3» area in Madagascar. Since May 2022, we have planted 659'617 trees there with Eden.
Eden also assured us that the trees already planted in Madagascar will continue to be cared for by local organisations. You can read the report here.
2025: Our focus on Kenya
Eden suggested looking for a new planting site that could replace Madagascar in the future. However, thanks to our visit to our Kenyan site, we have gained increased knowledge and confidence in the site and therefore decided to consolidate our presence there, making it our unique planting site from 2025 onwards.
