It doesn’t matter if you are surfing the most terrifying wave of your life or running a grueling marathon, every breath of air consumed in these moments is special. Ten Tree apparel is devoted to keeping the air fresh. Our promise to you is that we will construct quality apparel and ensure that ten trees are planted for every article of clothing sold. Every single tree planted plays a small role in maintaining biological equilibrium. This will help safeguard the atmosphere and protect the world we play in.
The Trees
Ten Tree ensures that ten trees will be planted for every item purchased. Planting trees will:
- Create and restore bio-diversity (wildlife and plants)
- Sequester carbon (taking pollution out of the air)
- Create bio-precipitation (clouds)
- Permaculture (creating stability and resilience of natural ecosystems)
While some trees planted will be restoring areas destroyed by wildfire and/or diseases, others will be planted on land that did not have a forest on it before.
Ten Tree’s Forests
Ten Tree is dedicated to creating a man made forest by the year 2020. With over 20 years combined experience in the forestry industry ourselves and partnerships with companies that include WeForest and Greenfield Carbon Offsetters, we plan to do this quickly and efficiently.
Where do you get your trees?
We source trees from all over the world and also supply some of our own stock using a mix of cuttings and plugs.
Where do you plant? Do you do the actual Planting?
(1) Ten Tree and our staff do planting in North America and contract out planting in third world areas to WeForest. In Canada, we do reforestation along northern Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba. We also do agroforestry in Southern Saskatchewan and Hawaii. We are looking to do a project in Slave Lake this summer so please contact us if you are interested in joining us for that.
When do you plant?
In North America we plant primarily spruce, pine, and hybrid poplar. The planting season is in May and June when temperatures are 6-8 degrees celsius 4 inches under the soil.
(2) Ten Tree contracts WeForest to plant in areas with a warmer climate year round (ex. Haiti) we are using varieties of fruit trees to not only restore the soil but provide food for those people living in the area.
Our worldwide reach includes planting areas in:
- Ethiopia
- Haiti
- Madagascar
- Tanzania
- Zambia Kamfinsa
- Zambia Chembe
- The Philippines
- Kenya
- India
- Brazil
- Honduras
Haiti
The project in Haiti is intended to restore the soil and watersheds that were destroyed by the 2010 earthquake. Weforest will also be providing Haitians with a chance to return to their own farming to get back on their feet.
Ethiopia
Eighty percent of Ethiopians are dependent on agriculture as their main livelihood, but the forests are declining nearly into desertification. Weforest is restoring the forests lost in civil disputes and persistent lack of rainfall, while employing Ethiopian mothers and widows to make a livelihood and be able to pay for schooling and medical care.
Madagascar
The unique ecosystem of the mangroves on the west coast of Madagascar is home to a large array of wildlife. Due to an overuse of the area and its resources, the soil is heavily eroded, and the resources are diminished. Planting trees in this area will restore the natural environment and provide jobs for the local farmers to come out of poverty and into independence once again.
Tanzania
In Tanzania, poverty and deforestation go hand in hand. The overwhelming amount of tree loss in Tanzania is threatening the sustainability of the environment and the local community. Ten Tree and Weforest are empowering the native population to replant the trees that they have cut down to restore the forests through their own merit.
Zambia Kamfinsa
The Zambia project is unique in that Ten Tree and Weforest are training inmates in the Kamfinsa prison to maintain productive gardens. The fruit, vegetables, lumber, and medicinal ingredients that result from these gardens provide valuable resources for the local community, offer training and rehabilitation to the inmates, and generate income to sustain the society.
Zambia Chembe
The uncontrolled poaching, fishing, deforestation and urbanization in Zambia’s only national park are diminishing the natural resources and biodiversity in the area. To counter this, Ten Tree and Weforest are creating permaculture training centers, and helping to repopulate the loss of wildlife resulting in an increase of biodiversity and a boost in eco-tourism.
The Philippines
The Malungon forest area in the south of The Philippines used to be one of the world’s richest forests, but its growth has slowed due to illegal deforestation and degradation. With the support of Congressman (and boxing champion) Manny Pacquaio, Ten Tree, with Weforest are aiming to plant 5 million trees over the next 3 years to restore the vast forest.
Kenya
Due to population growth, illegal environmental activities, and global warming, Kenya’s forests are rapidly declining. By restoring the 2% of the forest cover that still remains, Ten Tree and Weforest are reversing the desertification that has begun in the area, and is reducing poverty created by the current draught.
India
Land degradation, water shortages, and overpopulation has increased unemployment, food insecurity, malnutrition, disease and poverty in certain parts of India. In lieu of these concerns, Weforest has created training programs in education, health, vocational studies, and sustainable reforestation for the local community to combat these threats.
Brazil
The Mata Rainforest is one of the most diverse yet endangered tropical forests in the world. By converting subsistence farming into sustainable rainforest enterprises, the local farmers are able to create their own nurseries and thus sustain the rainforest.
Honduras
The erosion of soil, urbanization, and overfishing in Honduras pose large threats to the mangroves that protect marine wildlife. The aim is educating local inhabitants to protect and plant mangroves to improve the biodiversity and combat extinction of species in the area.
Suppliers
Fabric that has errors in it and scrap pieces left over from the cuts, that are salvageable, are cut into rags and distributed to the housekeeping team. What is not big enough for rags is sold off to third parties who in turn recycle them. Instead of tossing packaging or supplies that can no longer be used – such as empty spools from thread, or cardboard tubes at the center of large rolls of paper– are donated back to local schools and non-profits for use in arts programs.
Our supplier uses a state-of-the-art solar panel installation on the roof of the factory. This system generates 150 kilowatts of clean, renewable power, contributing up to 15% of the energy needs. Our supplier has been lending bikes to employees since 2005, to provide a sustainable alternative for commuting. There have been over 150 bikes lent out at any given time, along with locks and helmets to the factories in Los Angeles. To encourage use of public transportation, employees are offered a discounted rate on monthly Metro
There’s no getting around the fact that the screen printing process requires chemicals. Which chemicals and how they are used depends on the individual company. The machines used segregate each step allowing for containment in the process to recycle the material before it moves to the next step. The final rinse is the only thing that goes to the drain, but this grey water is filtered first. All of this was voluntary and is driven by the commitment to the environment at any cost…not to mention the hands off human element making the dirtiest job not so bad!