Great Outdoors - Michaela Strachan supports the Hug 100 Trees challenge

The Great

Hug 100 Trees? The Rainforest Trust UK tells Country Child more about this years important campaign supported important campaign supported by Michaela Strachan

Outdoors

Springwatch presenter Michaela Strachan is encouraging people across the UK to hug 100 trees this year to raise money for rainforest protection. “We've all missed hugs in the last year” says Michaela, “so let's celebrate hugging by doing Rainforest Trust UK's Hug 100 Trees challenge! Th e natural environment has been such a huge source of comfort and brought so many of us peace and calm in our recent uncertain and chaotic lives. It's time for us to give back, and what a great way to give back - raising money while giving hugs! C'mon, get tree hugging for the planet!” Th e Hug 100 Trees campaign, which is organised by conservation charity Rainforest Trust UK, is a great way for children of all ages to spend more time in nature this year, and help the planet at the same time. You can hug any trees you like – in the local park, a nearby woodland, a beautiful forest, your garden, even in the street. You can hug all your 100 trees on the same day, or spread your tree-hugging throughout the year – the only rule is that they must be 100 diff erent trees. It only takes a minute to set up a Hug 100 Trees JustGiving fundraising page, which can then be shared with friends and family asking them to sponsor your – or your children’s – tree-hugging eff orts. All those taking part will also receive a free limited edition Rainforest Trust UK Hug 100 Trees T-shirt to wear while they’re out tree hugging for the planet Chris Redston, the Executive Director of Rainforest Trust UK, says, “We’re asking the British public to join Michaela Strachan in supporting this fun family-friendly campaign over the year. Th e money raised will be used to protect the planet’s most threatened rainforests, which not only stores hundreds of billions of tonnes of carbon, but also provide vital habitat for thousands of endangered species, such as tigers, elephants, orangutans, chimpanzees, macaws and jaguars. So release your inner tree-hugger and join our campaign to save the rainforests today!” All money raised in the Hug 100 Trees campaign will be directed to the charity’s Rainforest Climate Action Fund, which supports the planet’s most important rainforest protection projects. Rainforest Trust UK guarantees that 100% of every donation will be used to protect our planet’s most threatened tropical forests, as they cover all their running costs through donations from their Board of Trustees and Gift Aid – and all donations will be matched 1:1 by generous supporters of the charity, meaning every pound donated saves twice as much rainforest. Haddon Spender, Hug 100 Trees campaign manager at Rainforest Trust UK, adds, “Deforestation causes about 15% of all net global carbon emissions, which is the same as every bus, train, car, plane, ship and truck on the planet combined. Rainforests are currently being destroyed at a rate of about 70,000 acres a day, mainly through deliberate burning and clearing for cattle ranches, soy plantations and palm oil. Protecting our remaining rainforests is probably the most eff ective and cost-effi cient way to fi ght climate change and save endangered species at the same time.” rainforesttrust.org/hug100trees

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