Team Trees (TeamTrees) located at www.teamtrees.org is not a scam, it is a legitimate tree donation project. The website's (#TeamTrees) goal is to plant 20 million trees around the globe by January 1st, 2020. The Arbor Day Foundation, the longest-running tree planting NGO, with 47 years of experience, and have the same Charity Navigator rating as the American Red Cross, is responsible for the project. The Arbor Day Foundation works closely with professional forestry partners including the U.S. Forest Service, and other government agencies and NGOs. They collect donations and send the funds to their reforestation partners, enabling them to cover the costs required to plant the trees.
Team Trees' Website
How did #TeamTrees get started?
#TeamTrees started in May 2019 when the internet challenged Mr. Beast to plant 20 million trees to commemorate hitting the 20M subscriber milestone. Fans then suggested he band together with a bunch of other YouTubers and influencers to make it happen. A growing group of them have been working hard for the past five months to set up the framework for this insane goal to have a fighting chance of success.
Who exactly is the Arbor Day Foundation and why did you choose them over other tree planting NGOs?
We quickly realized that to plant trees in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way we would need to partner with the professionals. After speaking with a number of people in the environmental space, the Arbor Day Foundation stood out as being the best. They are the longest-running tree planting NGO, with 47 years of experience, and they have the same Charity Navigator rating as the American Red Cross.
Does my donation go directly to the Arbor Day Foundation?
Yes. Donations through either TeamTrees.org or the YouTube donate button are sent directly to the Arbor Day Foundation to fund tree-planting. One dollar plants one tree.
Is this donation tax-deductible?
Since the Arbor Day Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization, there’s a good chance your monetary donation is tax deductible, but we recommend that you consult your tax professional, who’s familiar with your specific tax situation, to be sure. The Foundation’s Federal Tax ID number (also known as an EIN, Employer Identification Number) is 23-7169265.
What does my donation actually go towards?
For every dollar you donate, one tree will be planted in a forest of high need around the globe. It's that simple!
Where are the trees being planted?
Due to the sheer volume of trees planted (20 million), they will be planted in a variety of forests on public and private lands in areas of great need. Many of these forests will be state and national forests managed by government agencies. The goal is to plant trees on every continent not named Antarctica! Click here to see a list of the Arbor Day Foundation’s previous work around the globe.
Who will plant the trees?
The Arbor Day Foundation works closely with professional forestry partners including the U.S. Forest Service, and other government agencies and NGOs. They collect donations and send the funds to their reforestation partners, enabling them to cover the costs required to plant the trees.
When will the trees be planted?
Trees will be planted throughout the year starting in January of 2020 and completed no later than December 2022.
What species are going to be planted?
The Arbor Day Foundation always emphasizes planting native species where local conditions and forest plans allow. Their motto is to plant the right trees, in the right place, for the right reasons.
Why are you planting trees instead of preserving ones that already exist?
It is vitally important to protect, manage, and restore forests globally. We are focused on restoration because, according to the National Academy of Sciences, forest restoration has the most global climate mitigation potential compared to all other natural climate solutions. Restoring lands through tree planting is the Arbor Day Foundation’s area of expertise and something they’ve been doing for nearly five decades. There’s no silver bullet for fixing climate change, just silver buckshot, so we should actively pursue many different approaches including both preservation and restoration.