Georgina Gorman, Executive Director, TreeSisters
At the start of this new year, I want to share our deepest gratitude for your support of TreeSisters. In the face of a relentless and often overwhelming news cycle filled with conflict and destruction, it's easy to feel powerless. But please know you are not alone. Through our shared vision of a greener, more equitable future, we can find hope and inspiration to continue advocating for change and working towards a better tomorrow. We want you to know how much we appreciate your support and commitment to this movement. Together, we are powerful, and together, we can make a difference.
TreeSisters were busy in 2023. We launched and implemented our new Restoration strategy, shifting our approach to reforestation by integrating respect, equity, collaboration and connection into ecological restoration and conservation. We introduced new restoration projects in Bolivia, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Colombia. Three of these projects are almost 100% female, crucially linking gender equity with environmental protection and restoration, and all have education and the power of community and nature connection embedded into their aims.
We were honoured to attend a 3-day "Creator's Lab" in Hawaii to share ideas and ways of working that bridge scientific and business approaches with Original Principles and those living in harmony with the earth. We launched a new website, hired new team members, held our first, second and third Business of Nature events and have been developing our learning and engagement offerings, with exciting announcements coming in the next few months. Oh, and somewhere in all of this, I took time away to have a baby - my daughter Willow - I know, I know, yes, she’s named after a tree.
For anyone who wants to delve further, our Annual Report of activities from April 2022 to the end of March 2023 is available here.
But really, we want to look forward. And as we step into 2024, we are excited about what we can achieve together. This year marks ten years since our charity funded its first planting project, and we want to ensure this momentous occasion is appropriately marked. Watch this space to see how you can get involved!
In the coming weeks, we will launch the Rooted in Ethics: Community Tree Stewardship Framework (previously titled the Ethical Tree Growing Framework). If you have been with us for a while, you’ll know how important this work is to us and how much has gone into it. Co-created with the Fountain, a group that supports and represents Indigenous people across the globe, this guide seeks to honour life through a biocultural rights-based approach to care for trees and communities. We are so proud to finally introduce this work to you.
Thank you to everyone who joined, listened to, or downloaded our Full Moon and seasonal meditations this year. As we expand our offerings, we are excited to share more ways to reconnect and honour your connections to nature, including an online book club, Forest Bathing sessions, and more.
And more is exactly what we want to do. We had an overwhelming response to our recent call for restoration project proposals, and there were so many worthy projects we would fund if only we could. We cherish every donation. Whether you are a monthly giver, one-off, have just joined us or are a long-term supporter, you allow this vital work to continue. Because of you, we can continue planting seeds of change, and we are incredibly grateful for your support. We hope you will continue to support us and help spread awareness of our cause and the importance of reconnecting with our roots.
Wishing you health, happiness and connection in your new year. Thank you again for being with us.
