Intrepid Travel’s Offset Earth has now planted 100,000 trees, the operator has announced.
The milestone of the project, which runs in collaboration with Intrepid’s not-for-profit arm, The Intrepid Foundation, was announced on Earth Day (April 22).
The project has seen the company plant a tree in Kenya for every subscription through its Offset Earth page.
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Intrepid’s trees are currently being planted in Kenya’s Kijabe Forest, near Nairobi, by Eden Reforestation Projects and local community partners, which travellers can visit on select Kenya itineraries with the operator. The project employs locals, many of whom are single mothers, to help plant the trees and keep the forest safe.
Chief executive James Thornton said: “Planting over 100,000 trees in Kenya’s Intrepid Forest is a fantastic milestone to hit this Earth Day and we want to thank all those who have subscribed to our Offset Earth project to date. It’s a nice reminder that even when we have to be apart, we can still work together to change things for the better.”
Intrepid says carbon offsetting enables its travellers to limit their carbon footprint while the world explores new technologies and solutions to reduce our emissions.
The starting monthly subscription rate allows users to plant 12 trees, which is matched by a further 12 on behalf of Intrepid Travel. This tree planting, along with the purchase of Gold Standard-certified carbon credits, effectively prevents 22 tonnes of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere each year, Intrepid says.
Offset Earth also helps users set goals to reduce their carbon footprint overall, such as refusing single-use items, reducing their meat intake and taking public transportation to work.
“The world may have changed dramatically over the past few months with travel as we know it coming to a standstill”, says Thornton “but as a company we remain committed to being climate positive and are grateful that our loyal customers feel the same. Travel will only rebound stronger if it rebuilds more responsibly.”
You can sign up to Offset Earth and have your trees matched by Intrepid here.