An upscale Chilean hotel is fighting deforestation by planting trees on behalf of its guests.
Patagonia—a region at the southern end of South America—is probably one of the most beautiful places in the world, with striking mountain regions, ice sheets, volcanoes, and pond-dotted plains, among other geographical marvels. The Chilean section of Patagonia is also home to some of the world’s worst deforestation, which is particularly troubling when you realize that ninety percent of the species in Chile’s forests are unique to the region, according to the Patagonia Foundation.
Enter Tierra Patagonia Hotel & Spa. While most upscale hotels aren’t in the reforestation business, this one has decided to give it a shot, making a deal with the nonprofit Reforestemos Patagonia to plant trees on behalf of its guests. It’s a pretty simple arrangement—when you check into the hotel, you’ll get a tree planted on your behalf, assuming you want it (and why wouldn’t you?). You can decide where you want your tree to be planted, and you’ll later get the exact coordinates. Don’t want to travel all the way to Chile? The hotel has also been planting trees on behalf of its Facebook fans.
Reforestemos Patagonia hopes to plant 1 million trees. Normally, planting a tree through the organization requires a $4 donation, so it’s not like the Tierra Patagonia hotel is saving its guests huge amounts of money. But the reality is that most Patagonia vacationers probably aren’t thinking about deforestation when they arrive, and after they check in to the hotel, they are—and they’re already doing something about it.
Photo via Tierra Patagonia.
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