Mark DasihitJuly 10, 20263 min read

Why long-term stewardship matters more than planting counts

Planting a tree is the easy part. Keeping it alive for a decade is where real climate impact begins.

Every year, billions of trees are planted worldwide. And every year, a heartbreaking share of them quietly die within the first two seasons.

The survival gap

Reports from restoration projects across sub-Saharan Africa show survival rates as low as 20% when planting is treated as a one-off event. The trees that thrive are the ones with a person behind them — a custodian who waters, mulches, and checks in.

What we do differently

At PlantTogether, every sponsored tree is tied to a real custodian in the community where it grows. Sponsors receive updates. Custodians receive support. And the tree gets what it actually needs: years of attention, not just a planting-day photo.

That is what real climate accountability looks like.