ADOPTING TREES FOR SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT FUNDING

BUT ARE THE PEOPLE BUYING THIS IDEA

        

Jigme Tshelthrim Wangyal and Anoop Hingorani

Proposing tree adoption for sustainable forest management funding for Bhutan!

INTRODUCTION

Our hypothesis is that many people across the planet are aware of the global warming problems and understand the necessity to preserve trees that cushion the earth creating home to millions of living and non-living beings. However, they are unable to contribute to tree conservation owing to various reasons such as lack of space, political willingness and modern concept of life. We see that wealthy people enjoy visits to clean sea shores, mountains and never explored or less visited nature-based destinations, an indication that they like fresh and free air. Therefore, it can be assumed that they will be willing to contribute to nature conservation without reservations. Their ability to pay a lot of money for visiting places that make them happy and fresh can be used to multiply by giving them opportunity to make them own the nature itself by encouraging ideas such as tree adoption. Because they understand the importance of nature and trees, we can bank on their willingness to contribute in endeavors such as this because by any logic they would not hesitate to contribute any amount for the sake of saving the mother earth. Therefore, creating opportunities for the rich people to conserve nature is very important for conserving trees and subsequently saving the earth.  

Even otherwise, the intention with people in general is to contribute to nature conservation in any format. But we see that they have either been deprived of the opportunity to contribute or there are very little avenues for them to participate and donate to nature conservation. They do not have space or easy access to such initiatives. Hence, creating opportunities for people from all walks of life is vital at this juncture, when materialists have taken over many opportunities to expand their businesses.

One of the best opportunities to save trees and subsequently nature is by allowing people to either adopt or sponsor a tree or more. This might sound weird, but this will work. People with good values are expected to come forward to adopt or sponsor trees. With this opportunity being opened, people from all level of life, very rich, rich and not so rich can come forward and adopt or sponsor any number of trees in Bhutan. Ultimately, this will help in reducing the effects of global warming.

WHY

Why should people Adopt/Sponsor a tree? People willing to contribute to nature should be explained the importance of preservation of the tree and its contribution as a carbon sink and generation of precious oxygen required for natures cycles. This way the person shall be sponsoring oxygen supply for self and family.

Good Karma
There are instances of many people contributing to temples and to charities supporting good causes. Similarly, contribution towards tree adoption or tree sponsorship is a similar kind of approach for gaining good karma.

SCHEME FEATURES

•         Allow people who are interested to contribute funds to adopt or sponsor a tree for various duration.

•       One-year duration – 100 dollars

•       Five-year duration – 300 dollars

•       Life time duration – 700 dollars

•      Family life time duration – 1000 dollars (Group of 4 or 5 trees are named with all the family members).

•     The people who contributes funds get to have their names displayed on a fully-grown tree. (The name can be written on a cloth and then tied to the tree or any other method that does not cause any harm to the tree or the environment).

•     The tree should be part of a forest reserve with access to people who have contributed and view his name displayed on the trees.

•    This forest reserve where the trees are named after various people, shall become a tourist destination as many tourists would like to visit this as a place of interest.

•       A tourist visiting the forest reverse, should be able to adopt or sponsor the tree on the spot.

WEB SITE

•    A dedicated web site would be required to store information of the people who adopts or sponsors a tree.

•      The website should have a photograph of the person along with his details.

•      The website should contain the duration of tree adoption or tree sponsorship.

•   The website should be able to send reminder e-mails to sponsors who have taken annual adoption or five-year adoption for renewal.

•   The website should display certain information of the person - like Nationality, period of sponsorship, start date of the sponsorship, date of birth etc.

•  The website should have credit card payment processing options for people to directly contribute (if they wish) and are unable to visit the forest reverse. The website should allow people interested, to upload their photographs on the website as a contributor.

FUND UTILIZATION

•      Fund generated through this scheme should be utilized for the day to day maintenance of the forest reserve.

•       Part of the fund should be utilized for planting new saplings for future trees.

•    The fund should be utilized to generate compost etc. and all other natural boosters for the growth of the trees.

•      The funds should also be utilized for all the facilities for tourists (like washrooms, Tea/Coffee and Snack counters) who visit and would like to spend a day at the forest reserve.

•      All the information of funds collected, and funds utilized should be displayed on the website to establish transparency.

MARKETING STRATEGY

•      The scheme should have approval from the highest level within government agencies

•   Tourists visiting the country should be provided information for Tree Adoption or Tree Sponsorship on all flights to Bhutan.

•     There should be information of Tree Adoption or Tree Sponsorship displayed at all the hotels throughout Bhutan and tourist locations.

•     Tree Adoption or Tree Sponsorship information should be displayed at shops where tourist visit for shopping.

•     Tree Adoptions or Tree Sponsorship fund collection centres, should be included at local banks or post offices (this can be finalized later after the response of the first year).

TERMS & CONDITIONS

•     Trees offered for adoption or sponsorship are and shall remain property of the forest reserve (or any government department it falls under) and the person adopting or sponsoring the tree has no legal ownership of the tree.

•     Trees offered for adoption or sponsorship are susceptible to various natural threats like floods, earthquakes, in such cases the functioning authority shall not be responsible for any destruction of the trees. Forest reserve authorities shall try to accommodate the names of sponsors again once the trees are re-grown or use another location to assign the names.

•      Forest reserve authorities shall replace the names of the sponsors from one tree to another one in-case the trees are removed due to any emergency situations and the sponsor shall be informed through email.

 

DISCLAIMER

This is my personal thought and anything written here is not intended to harm or promote people or things mentioned here. No one is authorized to use the content of this blog for either personal or private purpose. People mentioned here in are fictitious characters and any resemblance to anyone with some characters or more are purely coincidence.