The Virtual Forest is a simple way to get people involved in reforestation, while showing them the importance of the trees they see in every day life - it's not just rainforests that help fight climate change. Every tree is important.

Just take a selfie on your phone with a tree, in your street, garden, park or countryside and submit it from your mobile phone.  Its a simple online form and takes seconds - you can see it here.

For every photo we receive we will plant a tree or distribute seedballs at one of our projects worldwide.  

At the end of the campaign all the submitted photos will be made into a large mosaic image of The Virtual Forest celebrating trees form around the world.

The Virtual Forest mosaic will be available to buy as a postcard or poster, with all funds going to plant more trees.

Everybody who sends in an image will receive a digital certificate as well as a digital copy of the final mosaic image.

It's easy to do, communicates a simple but vital message and you'll be helping plant trees.

Every year, trees absorb over 40% of the carbon dioxide produced by man. And yet every year thousands of square kilometres of forest are cleared for farming & forestry.

Every tree in the world is important and yet when we hear about the problems facing the rainforests in the Amazon and Borneo it seems far removed from our lives here in the UK. Recent storms and flooding have shown however that we are not exempt from the impacts of climate change.

If you look out of your window right now you will more than likely see a tree. That tree is a powerful weapon in the fight against climate change.

Did you know:

- On average, one acre of forest stores up to 326 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2e), the amount generated by about 69 passenger vehicles being driven for one year.

- A single 100 foot tree will absorb around 11,000 gallons of water in a single year, stabilizing the ground and helping to prevent flooding.

- Every tree supports a large ecosystem of species dependent on it as their home.

- Trees planted around a building can reduce its heating and air conditioning costs by 30%.

- One and a half acres of rainforest is cleared every second.

Explorers Against Extinction attended COP26 in November 2021, specifically briefings on deforestation and biodiversity. We work with projects around the World, financing their work and raising awareness of the issues they face. 

Our 2022 Virtual Forest Projects include:

Borneo

The Orangutan Foundation has a Forest Restoration Programme in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, where to date over 100,000 saplings have been planted out in areas that were previously damaged by fires. As the forest regenerates, so will the natural ecosystem. The tropical forests of Borneo and Sumatra provide far more than a home for orangutans. They are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, providing livelihoods for local people and playing a vital role in mitigating climate change.  

Kenya

Seedballs Kenya has pioneered a method of mass producing seedballs for low cost and efficient reintroduction of trees and grass species into degraded areas in Africa. Some of the funds raised will go to purchase seedballs for dispersal by Mara Elephant Project based in the Masai Mara in Kenya. The beauty of seedballs is that they can be distributed anywhere, by anyone, quickly and easily. The seedballs do not require maintenance, simply lying dormant until the rains arrive. About half of the seedballs will successfully grow into mature trees.

Watch this space as we add more reforestation projects over the coming weeks!

About Explorers Against Extinction:

We are a UK registered charity (No.1177505) based in Norfolk. 

The scale of the challenges facing the planet at this current time are daunting, but it’s not too late to take action and make a difference. Everybody can help. Start today by sharing an image of a tree and planting a tree. Its quick, easy and free. 

Click Here to join in.

We support immediate need front line projects which focus on protecting threatened species and their habitats as well as helping to empower local communities.

Our Mission statement:

• to promote the conservation of rare and endangered species and the protection of their environments;
• to advance the education of the public in the conservation issues around rare and endangered species and the threats to their environment;
• to help local communities impacted by proximity to rare species benefit from their protection.

Through our ‘Partnerships to Protect the Wild’ we have successfully helped to safeguard a wide range of endangered species and at risk wild spaces in more than 25 different countries including the UK.

Our Patrons include Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Colonel John Blashford-Snell, Levison Wood, Benedict Allen and Pip Stewart.

Our celebrity supporters include Stehen Fry, Joni Mitchell, Bill Nighy, Sir Paul McCartney, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Helen Mirren, Nick Park and many more.

Thank you,

Robert & Sara,

Trustees