Join me in sharing joys through letters and showing some love to Mama Earth!
If you enjoy writing letters and looking for ways to help build more resilient communities, you found the perfect place! (Emails are fine but snail mail doesn’t grow old, right?)
I have ‘rebranded’ a personal tree-planting campaign, the meiLBOX 5+1 Project into something more exciting and practical. The same idea remains (write 5 letters, plant 1 tree!) but this time, we don’t have to write and send letters via snail mail only. You still have that option, of course, but in this age of emails and social media, this is more efficient and allows us to reach out to more people! You’ve Got Tree-mail is it!
All it takes is to send at least 5 letters and plant 1 tree. You don’t have to wait for anyone to write to you. In fact, I encourage you to begin your own chain or tribe. Once you begin sending letters or have received a letter or email from me or your friends, please don’t break the chain. More importantly, please do not spam your friends! It’s better if you write to each person individually. (Mass emails will somewhat defeat the purpose of bringing and sharing warmth and happiness to your friends). A very thoughtful and well-meaning letter always brings so much joy, right? I have shared a draft email in this post but feel free to modify or personalize based on your need, for example, if you are greeting a friend on his birthday. You can send as many letters and plant as many trees as you want but please commit to at least 5 letters and 1 tree.
I hope this beautiful tree–with roots beautifully wrapped around a huge rock–reminds you of how blessed you are and inspires you to give back to Mama Earth. And don’t forget–always hug a tree or walk barefooted whenever you can.
Here are things you may wish to do as well:
(1) Consider posting a photo of your tree /s in your social media account and put the hashtag #youvegotTREEmail; a vlog or blog post will be awesome, too! (Below are art cards that I developed for this campaign. Please feel free to use them!)
(2) There is no deadline but it will be great if you could plant the tree (or trees) and send the letters / emails within five months of reading this post (or receiving a letter or email). That way, we could help ensure lesser floods in the years to come.
(3) You don’t have to but it will also be nice if you can send a copy of your image/post with your tree’s location to me via email lovemamaearth [at] duck [dot] com so that we can build a database of the trees.
(4) If you prefer to send letters via snail mail, you can share/post any of these pictures: (i) a picture showing you in the post office as you mailed your letters/postcards; (ii) a picture showing the stamped letters that you are sending out (please don’t take a picture unless you are already in the post office and don’t show the names of your recipients); and (iii) a picture of you planting a tree/s (you don’t have to show your face).
(5) Consider organizing tree-planting and letter-writing events in your community. You may feel free to send me the event’s details and pictures. I’ll do my best to share them through a blog post here. (By sending me photos, you are giving me the consent to share them in this website and/or my Instagram account. I promise not to use them for any other purpose except to help promote #youvegotTREEmail.)
For further tips and guidance, you may also refer to my other blog posts:
Tree Planting 101
https://annasuarin.com/tree-planting-101/
Best trees for urban areas
https://annasuarin.com/best-trees-for-urban-areas/
(Recommended trees for rural areas will follow.)
What are you waiting for? Grab that pen now and make Mama Earth and our fellow earthlings happy!
My roots protect you from the floods;
My leaves give you clean air and shield from the heat;
The gentle breezes sing you the sweetest melodies.
All I ask is for you to leave all these
to the next of your kins.
– Kindred Trees
Art work Anna Suarin
[Thanks to FreeMockUpWorld for the wall image]
Here are art cards that you can use in your social media or letters /emails.
You may feel free to create your own, too. (Just please put the link and send me a copy.)
Mama Earth loves you: To maintain independence, this website is self-funded. There is no request for donation but if you can plant a tree (or two!) on your birthdays, it will really be awesome and will make Mama Earth very happy! P.s. It’s better if you could join the You’ve Got TREE-mail! Chain.