Bozeman, MT, November 27, 2019 — In 2008, Oboz Footwear, the True to the Trail® outdoor footwear company headquartered in Bozeman, Montana, created its One More Tree program with Trees for the Future (trees.org) to plant a tree for every pair of Oboz Footwear sold. The program recently exceeded the 3 million tree mark.
“Planting three million trees is a great milestone, but the broader effect these plantings have on our environment and the people in those areas is even greater,” said company president Amy Beck. “Thank you to our customers and Trees for the Future for helping us improve the lives of others through this program.”
The planting of three million trees will help reforest over 1,800 acres of land and sequester over 110,000 metric tons of carbon. Most of the trees are planted in grassroots projects in five countries of East and West Africa.
“The support we’ve received from Oboz over the last 12 years can’t be measured in trees alone,” said John Leary, Trees for the Future’s Executive Director. “They have been influential in helping farmers completely transform their lands and their livelihoods, and their One More Tree program has helped raise awareness of our mission with their customers and brand loyalists. We can’t thank Oboz enough for their ongoing support and belief in our work and the farmers we serve.”
In the mountains of Cameroon and Kenya, the trees are protecting soils and providing livelihoods for hillside communities in the form of fruit, livestock feed, and natural fertilizers. In the arid lands of Senegal and Tanzania, fruit trees combined with vegetable gardens are enabling impoverished families to end their chronic hunger. The Forest Gardens Approach has proven to increase farmer’s income by 400% and more and more farmers are joining the planting programs.
Beyond the One More Tree program, Oboz Footwear has enacted numerous sustainability efforts throughout its business. Oboz purchases carbon offsets for its footwear shipments, office utility bill, and employee travel including their daily commute. Oboz also powers its offices with clean wind energy from wind farms in Central Idaho and Washington, through the EPA Green Power Partnership. Additionally, Oboz donates unsellable, but still trail-worthy shoes, through partnerships with Project Sole and local non-profits.
Those interested in helping Oboz Footwear and Trees for the Future plant more trees can purchase a pair at their local Oboz Footwear dealer or donate directly to the cause here.
To learn more about the One More Tree program, Oboz award-winning line of footwear, or find the retailer nearest you visit obozfootwear.com.
About Oboz Footwear: Founded in 2007, Oboz Footwear builds ‘True to the Trail®’ outdoor footwear inspired by the vast 18 million-acre Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem surrounding the company’s Bozeman, Montana home. This rugged wilderness inspires Oboz to build shoes and boots that deliver unmatched fit, unrivaled feel and exceptional performance on any trail, anywhere. Oboz plants a tree for every pair of shoes sold. For more information visit obozfootwear.com.
About Trees for the Future: Trees for the Future is an international development nonprofit that meets a triple bottom line by planting trees: poverty alleviation, hunger eradication, and healing the environment. Through the organization’s Forest Garden Approach the organization trains farmers to plant and manage Forest Gardens that sustainably feed families, raise incomes by 400 percent, and end deforestation. Trees for the Future receives donations to implement work in areas where the organization can have the greatest impact. Trees for the Future currently works across five countries in Sub-Saharan Africa: Cameroon, Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda. Since 1989, Trees for the Future has planted over 150 million trees. For more information on their programs, please visit trees.org.