At DocuWare, helping our customers eliminate the use of paper, minimizing our carbon footprint, and having a positive environmental impact on our user community are an important part of our company culture. In this spirit, we’ve partnered with One Tree Planted, a US-based, nonprofit organization that promotes reforestation in 43 countries across the globe. Beginning this month, DocuWare will plant one tree as a welcome gift for every new customer. When possible, the tree will be planted in a region near the customer’s location. Where the trees are planted also depends on the season and where trees are most needed at that time.
Why did we choose to plant trees? Trees help clean the air we breathe and the water we drink and provide habitats that support biodiversity. They contribute to our good health in many other ways too. In fact, 25% of the medicines we take use ingredients from trees and plants. Working with One Tree Planted is also an effective carbon offset strategy. Carbon offsets enable individuals and companies to compensate for global greenhouse gas (GHGs) they produce by supporting initiatives that reduce carbon emissions. When GHGs are released into the atmosphere, they spread quickly around the globe. So, reducing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere—even if it’s on another continent— is a win for all of us. One of our favorite ways to do this is by — you guessed it — planting trees. In fact, one mature tree can absorb a whopping 22 pounds of carbon a year!
Preserving biodiversity
.jpg?width=600&height=400&name=iStock-487553378%20(1).jpg)
As we lose habitats, we also lose biodiversity. This is where trees come in! Reforestation helps to restore at-risk ecosystems and habitats, ultimately increasing the food supply, health and overall well-being. Our donations will help to restore forest cover in Uganda, Australia, and the Pacific Northwest. Reforesting these areas will aid in the protection of endangered species, restoration of holistic ecosystems and improvement of soil stability.
Inspiring examples of community impact
But it's not just about nature — local people also benefit through these projects. Reforestation is a powerful way to support community growth, education, and economic empowerment worldwide.
For example, One Tree Planted works with KULA, a reforestation partner dedicated to eradicating poverty through the development of entrepreneurs in Rwanda’s coffee-producing regions. Over the past 3 years, they have planted over 250,000 trees and empowered over 300 farmers — the majority of whom are women. Upon maturation, the coffee seedlings that are planted by the participating farmers can provide sustainable income for farming families for up to 30 years.
One Tree Planted along with Global Forest Generation supports Accion Andina, in the first multi-country, large-scale, grassroots initiative to restore the high-altitude native forests of South America's high Andes. Working with local and indigenous communities, the seeds are collected from nearby Polylepis forests and grown by local and indigenous people in community nurseries. The overall objective is to restore 1 million hectares of high Andean forests across 6 countries over the next 25 years.
One Tree Planted has partnered with Sustainable Green Initiative, a local organization with one simple but powerful objective: to plant (mostly) fruit trees to fight hunger, poverty, and climate change. Under this model, fruit tree saplings are distributed to the homesteads of marginal farmers, campuses, orphanages, old age homes, and other places of need. With the help of local Vrilksharakshaks, or “tree ambassadors,” farmers are given fruit trees and encouraged to practice organic and sustainable farming practices.
Making a difference together
With the participation of local communities and input from experts in organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, One Tree Planted collaborates on reforestation projects that will positively impact nature, people, and wildlife. By welcoming our new customers with the gift of a tree, we are each taking small but powerful steps to counteract climate change. 
