Building connections to nature.

 I remember many years ago at the start ot my tree planting journey, I setup a charity to plant trees. I did the usual street collection stuff and talked with local groups and communities on planting some fruit trees in areas around Belfast. 

People would give you money and arrange a spot they wanted trees to be planted and that was it. 

Someone sitting in the house handed over £20 and in their heads that was they're bit done to help nature. 

But then I thought about what wild planting trees did to me, the positive effects it had on my life. I had not yet coined the name Phantom Planter but I guerilla planted many trees myself solo around the city. 

Planting a tree is a ritual, its a connection to something more than us. I wanted people to experience this feeling. 

Especially when we wild plant them and drive by seeing it thrive,  it had the most profound effect on my life. 

I wasn't just contributing to nature, I was contributing to myself. My life felt it had meaning and purpose. 

Me in the past would have handed money to charities and sat in the bar thinking I did my bit, not knowing what the money was actually used for at all. 

With my tree planting charity I thought it has its limit on tree planting.  I mean how many trees can a group or charity really plant? It has its limits. 

By challenging you to phantom plant a tree we could all literally heal the world in no time. And not only that, when we plant a tree ourselves we will be building respect and connetion to nature which is more important in my eyes. 

No matter how many trees get planted, if our children are not connected to nature, in the future these trees will never be respected. They will just be seen as some commodity again in years to come. 

I challenge you to phantom plant a tree. I challenge you to phantom plant 1 thousand trees!!!

#phantomplanter