Last December, a devastating man-made fire burned over 43,000 acres in the iconic Torres del Paine National Park. Since then, the Chile-based non-profit initiative, has been working to restore the ecosystem to its former glory. Among other things, they decided to leverage love for social media games into real world action. Through this creative campaign, Reforest Patagonia recently achieved their first 100,000 tree milestone, and is well on its way to the goal of one million planted trees by 2013.
The campaign incorporates social media, GPS technology, and the power of crowdfunding to compel people to get involved with the reforestation effort. The first level of participation is simple: donate $4, and Reforest Patagonia will plant a native-species tree (species: lenga, ñirre, and coigüe) in your name. Donors also receive an official certificate of its authenticity with the tree’s exact GPS coordinates, allowing for the tree to be seen via Google Maps from anywhere in the world.
The second level of participation is for those who want to mobilize their online networks for a bigger impact. Groups can use the “Create Your Own Forest” gaming feature to compete for the highest tree count among organizations in similar categories. There are prizes for groups who successfully “plant” the largest forest.
by Beth Buczynski | earthtechling.com
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