Australian Couple Plants 60,000 Trees in Madagascar

(Newswire.net — November 25, 2014) Nerang, Queensland — An Australian couple from the Gold Coast, Australia, have helped to plant a whopping 60,780 trees in Madagascar. They didn’t do it with a shovel, but through the sale of the inspirational gift books they design and create sold at The Happiness Shop, their boutique online store.  Last year they visited Madagascar, hanging out with lemurs, visiting the local villagers and seeing first hand the reforestation efforts that are taking place in this country to restore tree by tree, the alarming 95% of native forests that have been cut down.

Give Responsibly

“People often ask us what we do. This is a difficult question to answer as we don’t like to pigeon-hole ourselves. Sure we publish inspirational and heart-felt gift books that have been bestsellers but we see ourselves as much more than that. Our vision is to connect people in meaningful ways through our products, information and awareness”, David says.

“Our goal is to connect people in a deep heart-felt way. Our gift books help to connect people that has our audience send us beautiful heart-felt messages thanking us for making a difference in their lives when the person they sent the gift book to had such a positive reaction.

We also believe that through sharing our information and experiences with others we can help others find joy and connection in their lives. The School of Happiness is our way to help people see the happiness that is there in their lives right now. Often we don’t slow down enough to see the roses let alone smell them”, David adds

All of their books are printed on FSC Certified paper and use soy and vegetable inks. This means that David and Heidi’s books are printed on paper that is harvested from managed forests, not primary forests and don’t use any chemical based inks. “We are also endeavouring to ensure that our company is ‘tree neutral’ as each gift book sold plants two trees in Madagascar”, Heidi says.

 

A beautiful chameleon catching some sunshine in Madagascar

Give Forward

David and Heidi were admant that from the very beginning, The Happiness Shop would give part of their profits away to help others.

“Often at the start of most businesses cash expenditure needs to be carefully managed and business owners often don’t always see the big picture from the beginning. We decided that to be truly meaningful, our company needed to give back from the start not after we were beginning to turn a larger profit. After all, our products and philosophy is all about giving.”

“This has turned out to be something we are truly proud of, and to date to know that 60,780 trees have been planted in Madagascar and helping to make a difference in the lives of the local people is a real buzz”, Heidi says.

Making A World Of Difference    

Last year, David and Heidi were invited to visit Madagascar by the organization that plants the trees in Madagascar. Eden Reforestation Projects plant both dry deciduous and mangrove forests in western Madagascar. They provide valuable employment to some of the poorest people on Earth and their work is beginning to transform the environment and also the lives of these people who are some of the poorest on Earth.

One of the little girls who lives in the Mahabana village in Madagascar

Megadiversity

Madagascar is incredibly biodiverse, with species of animals found nowhere else in the world. In fact, to date, over 100 species of lemurs have been discovered. A report by the World Wildlife Fund says that over 600 species have been discovered in Madagascar in the decade from 2000 – 2010, this in a place where over 90% of its native forests have disappeared.  Madagascar covers less then 0.5% of the Earth’s land surface yet contains 5% of its unique plant and animal species.

Environmental Destruction

“We were humbled when we travelled around the island and were saddened by the devastation. Exposed red earth with no tree roots to stop the topsoil washing into the rivers has turned parts of Madagascar into veritable deserts and arid areas. It has been noticed by astronauts in space that Madagascar looks like an island bleeding to death as great plumes of red topsoil are washed into the rivers and out to sea. Most people think that Madagascar is an island covered by lush tropical rainforest, tragically this is not the case anymore”, David says.

Awareness Brings Hope

The work of Eden Reforestation Projects is bringing hope to hundreds of people in Madagascar and changing the way they live. Deforestation caused by traditional slash and burn practices, coupled with charcoal production and commercial extraction has left its mark on the land. However, by planting trees, the local villagers are beginning to better understand the consequences of their actions and with income are able to turn the tide on their lives. Part of David and Heidi’s goal is to create greater awareness of the plight of the Malagasy people and environment and to do this through giving.

Simple Choices Change Lives

“We witnessed first hand the work Eden Reforestation Projects has done in a remote fishing village of Mahabana”, Heidi says. “This village has grown in the last few years with the support of Eden and the employment it provides. The mangrove forests are being restored helping to replenish fish stocks which were steadily diminishing. Also, mangrove trees in particular are able to sequester more carbon then other tree species and so are vital to help combat climate change.”

Obama Speaks Out About Climate Change

In a recent speech at the University of Queensland, on his visit to the G20 meeting, Barak Obama made an impassioned speech in which he said that people cannot rely on governments on their own to find solutions for climate change. It takes individuals and industry to help lead the way for a better future for all mankind.

 

‘Cat Napping’ book available at The Happiness Shop

Support Socially & Environmentally Responsible Businesses

One way individuals can do this is by supporting businesses that are making the commitment for change. These days many people are beginning to vote with their wallets choosing businesses that demonstrate a commitment to social and environmental causes.

The Happiness Shop

If you would like your Christmas gift giving to also help others in the process visit The Happiness Shop to stock up on inspirational gift books that do make a world of difference.  Each book plants two trees in Madagascar so you can walk away with a beautiful gift for a loved one and the knowing you are making a difference in the lives of people who through giving them employment are able to restore the environment of some of the island’s unique and iconic species such as the lemurs and chameleons.