Restoring Nature: How Each Tentsile Purchase is Helping to Revitalize Ecosystems
Written by Lauren Thorley
When we first designed the Tree Tent, we had a simple yet profound mission in mind: to bring people closer to nature while respecting and protecting the environment. Every time someone purchases one of our tents or hammocks, it isn’t just an investment in an adventure—they’re also contributing to a global effort to restore the planet’s forests. For every tent sold, we plant 20 trees through our dedicated partners. And so far, we’ve planted over 1 million trees across Madagascar, India, Zambia, the United States, and more, currently sitting at a wonderful 1,055,929 trees.
But tree planting is about more than just putting seeds in the ground. It’s about ensuring those trees grow, thrive, and contribute to the ecosystems they’re part of. That’s why we’ve partnered with Veritree—a data-driven platform that brings transparency and accountability to reforestation efforts. With Veritree, we’re able to monitor the progress of our tree planting projects, track survival rates, and provide our customers with detailed information about where and how their trees are making a difference.
Planting Mangroves in Kenya
A significant part of our tree planting efforts has been focused in Kenya, where we’re helping to restore vital mangrove ecosystems. Mangroves might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about forests, but their importance cannot be overstated. They play a critical role in protecting coastlines, preventing soil erosion, and providing a habitat for countless species.
Coastal Kenya is one of the least developed regions of the country. These communities are dependent on the mangrove ecosystems for employment, livelihood, and nutrition. The destruction of the mangrove forests also contributed to the loss of critical habitats for many organisms. With your support, we are restoring the mangrove forests in Kwale and Kilifi.
In restoring the mangrove estuary, which is rich in biodiversity, this project will provide fishing grounds for local people. This helps to create additional income streams, including sustainable harvests from the mangrove forests. The deep roots of mangrove trees also stabilize shorelines, shielding them from storm surges and preventing erosion that could otherwise devastate both human communities and wildlife habitats. Within these tangled roots, a rich ecosystem thrives, providing shelter and breeding grounds for crabs, fish, birds, and other creatures that are crucial to the local food chain.
Restoring Oregon’s Forests After Wildfires
Closer to home for a lot of our customers, we’ve recently expanded our efforts to Oregon, where devastating megafires have destroyed vast tracts of forest. In 2020, windstorms led to five simultaneous megafires, consuming more than 400,000 hectares of land. The fires destroyed the bulk of Oregon’s timber harvest and future timber supply. Local communities were displaced and critical habitats for wildlife were lost. The need for restoration was urgent, and we wanted to help.
Working through Veritree with the Oregon Forestry Department, we’re working to restore these burned forests with a diverse range of species, carefully selected to withstand the changing climate. By planting Douglas-fir, Noble-fir, and Western Red Cedar, we’re not only reforesting the area but also restoring habitats for species like deer, elk, cougar, bear, trout, and the endangered spotted owl.
Looking Ahead: Planting and Protecting
While our focus up till now has been on planting trees, we’re also beginning to consider how we can better protect existing forests. Saving trees can be just as important as planting new ones. Established forests are already home to complex ecosystems with diverse plant and animal species, and mature trees are highly effective at capturing and storing carbon, having extensive root systems and dense canopies that sequester more carbon than young trees, which take years to reach similar efficiency.
At Tentsile, we believe in the power of collective action. Every tree we plant is a step towards a healthier planet, and every tent purchased is a contribution to that cause. Together, we’re not just camping—we’re making a lasting impact on the world’s forests, one tree at a time.
