Deforestation threatens us all, and is happening at an alarming rate. We urgently need to conserve existing forests and plant more trees. Tree planting records have been set; the problem is that unless the right trees are planted in the right place for the right reasons, we see tree mortality rates of up to 95% in the 1st dry season; commercial plantations that increase atmospheric CO2; and monocultures that threaten the delicate biodiverse web of life. This is a risk we cannot and need not take

To ensure high survival rates, we need plant for the the right reasons too. The communities whose livelihoods depend upon local forest health, are the ones whose reasons for forest restoration need to be built into planting projects. These are the people who will, if involved properly, become the forest's stewards for generations. This is the solution ITF has been pioneering since 1922. Last year ITF completed 39 tree planting projects and planted 805,873 tree. We need support to restore more.