Mokugift Partners with the United Nations Environment Programme in the Goal of Planting 7 Billion Trees Worldwide

Today we announced our participation in the Billion Tree Campaign. Here is our press release:

SAN FRANCISCO — December 16, 2008 — Mokugift, the online tree gifting service that allows people to plant a real tree, today announced a partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme’s Billion Tree Campaign. The initiative, launched in 2006 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is calling on citizens globally to plant seven billion trees, roughly one tree per person, by the end of 2009. In support of the Billion Tree Campaign, mokugift pledges to plant five million trees by the end of 2009.
Under the Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign, individuals, communities, private sector companies, organizations and governments in 164 countries planted over two billion trees during the first 18 months of the campaign. The Billion Tree Campaign supports global environmental solidarity and helps fight one of the most critical challenges of our time – global warming. Mokugift allows those who wish to join this global campaign to plant trees with a simple click of a mouse.

"We are honored to partner with mokugift as part of the UNEP Billion Tree Campaign. Mokugift is taking creative approaches with its online gifting service and iPhone application to help the Billion Tree Campaign achieve a target of seven billion trees. In the spirit of the Billion Tree Campaign, mokugift empowers ordinary people to be part of the solution," said Satinder Binda, Director, UNEP.

As simple as sending an e-card, mokugift allows anyone to plant trees and fight global warming without the need to lift a shovel. Trees are priced at $1/tree and the gifter can select which country the trees are to be planted in. Mokugift trees are planted by award-winning agroforestry partners in 12 tropical countries where tree-planting is most beneficial to the fight against global warming. Partner agroforestry projects focus on enriching the land and creating sustainable lifestyle for local communities.

About United Nations Environment Programme
The Billion Tree Campaign was launched in November 2006 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It is now recognized as one of the UN’s most successful environmental campaigns reaching several billion people across 166 countries. In twenty three months, people from around the world have pledged to plant 4.2 billion trees. UNEP’s records confirm a staggering 2.5 billion trees have already been planted. Ethiopia has planted over 700 million trees, with a survival rate of 70 per cent. In 2008, Ethiopia is planning to plant another one billion trees. The campaign has exceeded all expectations because of strong grassroots support and well planned global outreach strategies. “Plant for the Planet: The Billion Tree Campaign” stresses the power of partnerships. In its second stage, the campaign plans to plant seven billion trees -- one tree for every living person on the planet. Every tree counts and UNEP counts every tree.

For more information, please visit: http://www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign/


About mokugift
Mokugift enables consumers and organizations to plant trees with a simple click of a mouse for $1/tree. Mokugift, a supporter of the United Nations Environment Programme's Billion Tree Campaign, partners with award-winning agroforestry organizations such as Trees For The Future and Sustainable Harvest International to plant trees in twelve tropical countries fighting deforestation and poverty: Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Burundi, Senegal, Zambia, India, Philippines, and Haiti. Giving a tree is similar to sending an e-card, and recipients can proudly display their trees online at Facebook, MySpace, iGoogle and other popular Web sites. Mokugift enables iPhone and iPod touch owners to plant a tree as easily as they can buy their favorite song. Mokugift plants a tree when iPhone and iPod touch owners purchase 'A Real Tree' application on Apple's iTunes AppStore.
For more information, please visit: http://www.mokugift.com

mokugift quote of the week

A seed hidden in the heart of an apple is an orchard invisible. ~ Welsh Proverb

Richard Preston: Climbing the world's biggest trees

This is a must see. Richard Preston gives a presentation about climbing Redwoods. He gives you a sense of being there. Just enough that you want to climb one to complete the experience he started for you.

The presentation was given in Feb 2008 and posted this month. Kishore Balakrishnan thoughtfully suggested this video to us. Thanks for the inspiration Kishore.

Environmental blogs

A few more news sources have started to pick up news about our 'A Real Tree' iPhone app!
Check out Climate Change Today . The blog is written by Christopher R. Reeves who is an environmental attorney with the Atlanta office of the Finley Firm, P.C. Mr. Reeves’ practice includes environmental and mass tort litigation.

Forest News Watch, a forestry industry newsletter also picked up our story.

Check out their sites, there is some nicely selected content on there.

Plant a Tree on your iPhone or iPod touch

We are proud to announce that you can plant a tree on iPhone and iPod touch with mokugift's 'A Real Tree' app, available on iTunes AppStore. Our 'A Real Tree' app makes tree-planting as easy as buying your favorite song. With the click of a button, iPhone or iPod touch owners can buy 'A Real Tree' , trees are then planted by partners, who are award-winning tree-planting organizations in 12 countries fighting deforestation and poverty. 'A Real Tree' is priced at $0.99 (in the US).

iPhone Savior, an iPhone news blog, called us up for a quick interview. Check out iPhone Savior's review here. His screenshots are put together better than ours!

On the iTunes AppStore we have 3 reviews! Please check it out.
So far 94 trees have been planted since our silent launch. Today is our first approach to bloggers and mainstream media.