Madagascar is a globally recognized biodiversity hotspot facing severe deforestation by slash-and-burn agriculture, logging, and charcoal production, with over 80% of its original forest cover lost. The resulting habitat destruction poses a significant threat to Madagascar's unique biodiversity, including its iconic lemurs. 

In over two decades of owning an adventure travel company and leading cycle tours around the world, including through Madagascar, we watched this deforestation occur before our eyes, year on year. This prompted us to begin incorporating tree planting on our tours, working with schools and local plant nurseries.

In 2022 we sold our travel company and began finding out where we fit in the native forest restoration industry and planning how we could return to Madagascar to continue with, and grow, these planting projects.

And this is where you come in: 

Join us to plant 10,000 trees and explore Madagascar in March 2026/27.

Partnering with four different reforestation projects, we will work with local tree nurseries to buy their plants and we’ll employ local labour to work alongside us, with a goal to plant 10,000 trees over a two week period. 

In between projects we’ll get to explore Madagascar and experience the iconic wildlife found no-where else on earth.

This is more than just a feel good project, we aim to help grow forever forests that will benefit generations to come, preserve water catchments and create employment. You will get hot, sweaty and dirty and you will even pay for the pleasure!. But don’t worry, we will make sure you have great accommodation in lodges, hotels and beachfront villas with hot showers and great food! Plus you’ll get to work alongside local people and learn first hand about their lives.

Climate Change is a global issue, and not only is Madagascar in dire need of having trees planted, another huge positive is that we can plant around four times as many trees in Madagascar than we can here in New Zealand for the same money. So for less than the cost of getting 1000 trees planted here in New Zealand, you can fund and plant 1000 trees AND get to experience this incredible island while you are doing it! Plus being a tropical region they will grow so much faster and absorb more carbon far more quickly than they will here in our temperate climate. 

The downside of course is our carbon footprint in travelling to and from Madagascar. Depending on which carbon calculator you use it needs around 6-7 forever trees to be planted to off-set each person’s travel.  On this planting tour, each person who comes along will fund 1000 trees and personally plant at least 500, (with the other 500 being planted by the local labour we will employ to work alongside us). It sounds a lot but it works out to be about 50-60 trees each per planting day. 

So if your idea of an adventure is getting your hands dirty, whilst hanging out with mates in a beautiful and unusual location; doing genuine environmental good, whilst building relationships and friends you never imagined but that you’ll likely keep forever - then get in touch and roll up your sleeves tree-planting in remote and incredible communities with us! 

Note: Our goal of 10,000 trees planted on this tour is based on a group size of 10-12 people.