July is finally here! Besides the endless outdoor activities we have planned for this Summer, we’re most excited for Plastic Free July! As the first vitamin gummy brand to go compostable, we want to acknowledge our new compostable packaging this month.
To celebrate, we'll be planting trees in Canada during Plastic Free July, in partnership with veritree! Our 2 new Canadian tree planting sites will be in the Cariboo Region, BC and in Sackville, NB. In the month of July, for every pouch we sell, we will plant one verified tree in Canada!
Working with veritree, we are restoring an area devastated by wildfire in the Cariboo region, an area famous for its natural beauty, located in the central interior of British Columbia, Canada. The region is geographically and ecologically diverse, it encompasses the Cariboo and Coast mountain ranges with major rivers bisecting the region and the vegetation ranges from dry grasslands to fir and alpine forests.
During the last few summers, Cariboo was ravaged by wildfires that blazed through over 10,000 hectares of land. The area was so badly burned that the forest and the soils within the area sustained significant damage. Not only were the forest and ecosystems destroyed, but also the infliction to families, many were still unable to return home even today.
The damaged ecosystems will have a new chance of survival, and opportunities to thrive. The goal of this project is to establish a forest in less time that it would take if left for natural regeneration to occur, it is estimated that it will take approximately 13 million trees and years of hard work to restore Cariboo. With this hard work, the local communities once displaced will be able to rebuild their livelihoods and their futures.
In New Brunswick, intact old growth forests are being degraded and fragmented as a result of commercial logging activities. These activities are affecting forests’ ability to support animal populations, driving species loss and migration threatening the integrity of these ecosystems. These forests are also home to many iconic species native to North America, such as the Canadian lynx, moose, and whitetail deer. The trees and rich soils were once powerful carbon sinks, but are now becoming increasingly less effective.
By planting a diverse range of species, such as oak, birch, sugar maple, butter nut, and more, our goal is to revitalize ecosystems, increase biodiversity, and restore these forests as effective carbon sinks. By restoring this degraded area, we are creating a community forest for recreational use, becoming a prime location for biking, hiking, and more! Protecting these intact forests is key to mitigating climate change and reversing the habitat loss.
We are very proud to be part of this effort. Most importantly, the impact of our efforts will be measured and verified.