When I had my very first business brainstorm for The Kind Curator Co. I wrote a section on giving back. I wanted to make sure that my business plan would be able to contribute to a cause close to the heart, but that also related to the company.
After some research, I came across a program that would plant trees for you in different parts of the world when your customers made purchases. I thought that this was such a cool idea!
As a kid, I spent hours and hours outside. Running around the neighbourhood, venturing to different backyards, nearby parks and trails. Being inside wasn’t really a thing. Each summer I was also treated to weeks up on Lake Huron and overnight summer camp.
At camp, we would go on a canoe trip each session into places like Algonquin Park. I always felt so small compared to the landscape and trees that towered over.
However, I always felt secure and calm. I loved just sitting on a rock or right on the forest floor and just listening, looking and smelling. There’s something about that forest smell, it’s intoxicating. Somehow I intuitively knew that the forest was a good place to be; a place that allowed one’s stresses and anxieties to melt away. The body would just release and let go. For someone who had grown up with chronic anxiety, this was a damn good thing.
FOREST BATHING
In case you aren’t familiar with Forest Bathing or shinrin-yoku - the ancient Japanese practice, M. Amos Clifford of Your Guide To Forest Bathing (2018) describes it perfectly:
We immerse our senses in the special qualities of the fluid, oceanic ambience of the woodlands. We walk slowly so we can focus our senses on the myriad of ways the living forest surrounds and touches us. Feel the breeze on your skin; hear the gurgling voices of the brook and the calls of birds; see the movement of trees in the wind. By giving attention to your senses, you turn down the volume on the cacophony of inner thoughts. Your senses bring you into the present moment, where you can take in all the forest has to offer, welcoming it, letting it settle inside you. When the forest is allowed its place within you, it supports your body’s natural capacity for wellness and healing. (p.2)
I think naturally we are drawn to the forest, after all we used to live outside in the wilderness. We should be close to nature, it helps us be present and reflect on what’s really important.
If you are interested in learning more about this practice & how it can be beneficial to mental health, I highly recommend grabbing a copy of this book (it’s pocket sized yay!).
OUR GIVE BACK PARTNERSHIP
Circling back to giving back, I felt that being involved with forest preservation was the way to go. Trees are needed in so many ways - to keep our planet functioning really.
I decided to partner with a Canadian tree planting organization called TreeEra. By
partnering with them, it helps us as a business reduce our carbon footprint and combat the effects of climate change - being that we order products and ship our gift boxes (only within Canada). We also use various paper products - however we have been able to source mostly supplies made with post-consumer recycled paper, which is great!
HOW EXACTLY DOES TreeEra WORK?
Here’s a great explanation from TreeEra:
TreeEra is a membership based tree planting company. The same way people subscribe to Netflix or Spotify, they can become a TreeEra member and every month they will be doing their part in helping to offset their carbon footprint. TreeEra takes a complex subject like Climate Change and offers a simple and effective way people can take action. Since 2016, they have planted over 60,000 trees in places like British Columbia, Ontario, Africa & Costa Rica!
You don’t have to be a business to plant trees, you can also join TreeEra as a member and start planting trees - minus digging holes and playing in the dirt. Less than the price of a fancy coffee a day, heyo!
When choosing one of our consciously curated gift boxes for that special someone, just remember that you are also planting a tree and helping to do better.
Have you experienced the wellness benefits of forest bathing yourself? Where is your favourite place to venture off to, to immerse yourself. We would love to hear from you!
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