About Tree Planting

22. How can mokugift plant a real tree for just $3 ?

Tree planting is done in large volumes by our tree planting partners. The process starts with germination of seeds and the planting of seedlings. We do not plant adult trees because that does not benefit the environment, it only wastes fuel to change the location of a tree. No one is hired to plant the trees. Farmers apply to be part of the tree planting programs. Mokugift partners educate local communities on farming techniques while also providing resources such as seeds, materials for nurseries and irrigation equipment. Local communities and farmers plant the trees because they want to enrich their land and community in a way that they will be proud to pass on to future generations.

We could have priced the trees higher, but our goal is to get everyone involved. At $3 per tree, it is cheaper than a cup of Starbucks coffee. Everyone can plant a tree through mokugift. For many, this will be their first step to a more sustainable lifestyle.

23. How do I know that mokugift planted a tree in the real world?

Trust is earned. Mokugift works with award-winning tree-planting organizations (Sustainable Harvest International and Trees For The Future) to plant the trees. Both organizations have been given awards for their work in planting trees that enrich the land and local communities. They are experts at what they do and they have strong reputations that they have earned.

Awards won by Trees For The Future:

• TFTF is rated 4 out of 4 stars by Charity Navigator (the non-profit equivlanent to Consumer Reports)
• Green Globe Commendation Winner, 1999
• Earth Trusteeship Award, The Earth Society, 1994
• The International Award, National Arbor Day Foundation, 1990

Awards won by Sustainable Harvest International:

• 10 Best Managed Environmental Nonprofits, Charity Navigator, 2008: "Only 10% of charities rated have received at least 3 consecutive 4-star evaluations, meaning that Sustainable Harvest International outperforms most charities in America in its efforts to operate in the most fiscally responsible way possible. This 'exceptional' designation differentiates SHI from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust."~ Trent Stamp, President of Charity Navigator
• Yves Rocher Women of the Earth Award, 2007
• Etown E-chievenment Award, 2004

Both Trees For The Future and Sustainable Harvest International fully support the efforts of mokugift. Mokugift has researched both organizations and spent the time to understand their approach for reforesting and agroforestry. Mokugift fully supports both Trees For The Future and Sustainable Harvest International.

Their approach to planting trees focuses on education and empowerment to create sustainable communities. Local communities learn how to plant trees while avoiding toxic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. This makes them healthier while decreasing their dependence upon expensive chemicals. Local communities also receive the materials to plant trees that produce nutritious fruits and crops that they can live off and make a living on. By enriching their land and their lives, these communities build a foundation that they can proudly pass on to future generations. Pride in their community gives is something that logging companies can't compete with.

Mokugift has spent a lot of time researching potential tree-planting partners. We have gone beyond just looking into their ratings. We asked our personal contacts in the environmental community about their reputations. In the environmental sector, people move from organization to organization and eventually the reputation of an organization spreads through the environmental sector. We also spent a lot of time getting to understand their approach to getting trees planted and enriching local communities.

Our partners also provide tours of the villages that they plant trees in. You can sign up with them directly. A week long tour costs around $2,500 and does not include airfare to the country. What better way, than to go there yourself and participate.

Definition of Agroforestry: Agroforestry is an integrated approach of using the interactive benefits from combining trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock. It combines agricultural and forestry technologies to create more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy and sustainable land-use systems

Definition of Reforestation: Reforestation is the restocking of existing forests and woodlands which have been depleted, with native tree stock

24. Where did mokugift plant my tree?

Currently we plant trees in Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Burundi, Senegal, Zambia, India, Philippines, and Haiti. You can see a map here. As a sender, you can choose where your the tree is planted. If you can't decide, you can let mokugift pick and we will choose the country that is the farthest behind in its' target number of trees to plant.

25. What kind of tree species does mokugift plant?

The species of trees planted depends upon the ecological need of the area be reforested. Species planted include: Cocoa, Coffee, Banana, Orange, Cedar, Teak, Mahogany, Oak, Acacia, Eucalyptus, Laurel, and Leucaena. Planting is done in a style know as agroforestry. Agroforestry is an integrated approach of using the interactive benefits from combining trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock. It combines agricultural and forestry technologies to create more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy and sustainable land-use systems.

26. Can I choose the kind of tree that is planted?

Right now we are keeping it simple, but later on we will add the option to choose the type of tree planted on your Tree-Island and in the real world. We are currently exploring issues such as accounting overhead for monitoring tree types and the potential of shortages in certain types of trees.

27. Who plants the trees in the real world?

Our tree planting partners (Trees For The Future and Sustainable Harvest International) plant trees for mokugift. They work with local communities to educate them about sustainable agricultural processes. Our partners provide these farmer with education, seeds and resources such as irrigation equipment. These farmers are not paid to plant trees. They apply to the program to learn how to enrich their land and live healthier lives. They plant the trees because they want to build a future for their family.

Technical Questions:

28. I can't find my login/password email, what should I do?

Please check your spam/bulk folder, the email with login information from us may be there. But if you can not find it, please click on forgot password to request a new password.

Misc.

29. Is mokugift a nonprofit?

Mokugift exist in a category called social ventures. Social ventures like mokugift measure success in terms of customer experience, profit AND tangible, positive benefit to the environment. Mokugift works closely with non-profits that have experience and expertise in sustainable tree planting and environmental practices. Our non-profit partners fully support our efforts. We are interested in tapping into the $10 TRILLION dollars US of consumer spending instead of the $7 billion dollar charity market for environment and animals. It is easier to solve a problem with trillions of dollars instead of millions of dollars. To do this optimally, we can not be a non-profit. Just like any other consumer services you use, our revenues go towards the production and evolution of the whole mokugift experience: from the moment you send a tree gift to the moment a tree is planted in the real world. The portion of each tree purchase sent to a non-profit varies. The remaining portion goes to our employee salaries, marketing costs, operation costs and research and development.

30. How does mokugift appear on my credit card statement?

Your mokugift tree purchase will show up as a charge from "mokugift"

31. What is mokugift's privacy policy?

Please click here to see mokugift's privacy policy

32. Can I mokugift to my iPhone?

No. But, you can buy the mokugift A Real Tree app on the iTunes AppStore. Trees purchased on the AppStore are not tied to your account on mokugift at this time. 'A Real Tree' app is a great way to show friends in person that they can plant a tree easily. It is a different way of getting a forest started.
Click here to check out 'A Real Tree' on iTunes.