What if planting one tree could change everything?

The ChariTree Foundation is marking its 20th anniversary with a $20,000 Earth Day donation to support children’s environmental education and tree-planting initiatives in Malawi, where children face escalating climate impacts.

“Despite the urgency, climate change is being overshadowed, and far more must be done to protect children,” said Andrea Koehle Jones, founder of The ChariTree Foundation. “Rather than celebrating, we are directing resources to where they’re needed most—supporting children and communities on the front lines of the climate crisis.”

Malawi, one of the world’s poorest countries, faces increasing heatwaves, droughts, and severe flooding, contributing to food insecurity, malnutrition and water scarcity.

20 Years of Growing Hope

“Children are growing up in a digital world while inheriting a climate crisis,” said Jones, Founder and Executive Director. “Environmental education gives them the connection, confidence, and tools to be part of the solution.”

Growing Opportunities for Children and Youth

In partnership with Compact Resource Foundation, the initiative will deliver a hands-on environmental education program that engages children in tree planting and climate learning. The program aims to equip young people with practical knowledge while strengthening community resilience.

“This support will significantly advance our tree-planting initiatives and allow us to establish a dedicated children’s environmental education program across the four villages where we work,” said Kevin Jones, president of Compact Resource Foundation.

The initiative builds on existing local efforts, including tree nurseries, seed banks, permaculture training and solar-powered water systems. Fruit-bearing trees such as mango and lychee will also support food security.

From One Tree to a Global Movement

Founded on Earth Day in 2006, The ChariTree Foundation began with a simple act: two young children planting a Sitka mountain-ash on Bowen Island. It has since grown into an initiative connecting thousands of children to nature through tree planting and outdoor learning programs in Canada and internationally.

While the scale of climate change can seem daunting, the organization emphasizes the impact of individual actions. Its 100% volunteer-run grassroots approach focuses on environmental education, tree planting, and supporting outdoor classrooms to help children build leadership skills, resilience, creativity, and a connection to nature.

With billions of children already affected by climate change (UNICEF), the foundation is calling for increased investment in environmental education to equip young people with the tools to understand, adapt and take action.

“Planting a tree is an act of hope for the future, and children need that hope now more than ever,” said Koehle Jones.

“There is something magical about planting a tree. It fosters hope and empowerment for a greener future, and kids love being part of it,” said Jacob Rodenburg, executive director of Camp Kawartha and an environmental education instructor at Trent University.

About The ChariTree Foundation
The ChariTree Foundation is a Canadian-registered charity and a United Nations Climate Observer organization based in Vancouver, supporting environmental education initiatives that connect children to nature through tree-planting and outdoor learning programs.

Media Contact:
Andrea Koehle Jones
info@charitree-foundation.org
www.charitree-foundation.org

High-resolution photos are available. Watch the video below. and here:  

About Andrea Koehle Jones

Andrea Koehle Jones is an award-winning environmental education advocate, children’s author, climate journalist, United Nations Climate Observer, and founder of Canada’s ChariTree Foundation, a charity connecting children to nature through tree planting and outdoor learning.

She has worked across print, digital and television media, including CBC and CBC Kids, and contributed to major environmental initiatives such as the protection of the Great Bear Rainforest. She also serves as a mentor with Nature Canada’s Women for Nature initiative and as an advisor to the UNICEF Leading Minds Fellowship on Climate Education.

I want to give children opportunities to fall in love with nature because you protect what you love,” said Koehle Jones, author of The Wish Trees: How Planting Trees Can Help Make the World a Better Place, and the forthcoming Don’t Let Ned Plant a Tree There! (May 2026)