February 7, 2012 (Lake Forest, CA) – Over the last 500 years, Brazil’s Atlantic Rainforest has been destroyed dramatically leaving only seven percent of its original cover today. Through agricultural production and urban development, millions of acres of trees have been tragically damaged, burned or cut down. etnies, a global action sports footwear brand, is stepping in by expanding its Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree project to help reverse Brazil’s deforestation. Through its partnership with Trees for the Future, a leading nonprofit organization planting trees worldwide through seed distribution, agroforestry training and in-country technical assistance, etnies will bring people together to make a difference in this area, one shoe and tree at a time.
etnies will support planting 100,000 trees within the Atlantic Rainforest’s state of São Paulo throughout 2012. The one-for-one program plants a tree for every purchase of etnies Jameson 2 and Jameson 2 Eco men’s and kid’s shoes as well as girl’s Caprice Eco and Circe Eco shoes.
“We play in our planet, and we need to take care of it,” said Pierre-Andre Senizergues, CEO and Owner of etnies. “Through our Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree project we are excited that everyone can come together to be a part of the solution – giving future generations the opportunity to see and experience the benefits these life-giving rainforests bring to the Earth.”
Through its 2012 partnership with Trees for the Future, etnies’ Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree project will empower and educate students and indigenous groups of Brazil on how to restore their lands with the tree cover that once filled their country. Local students and native groups of São Paulo will be taught about environmental issues, how to produce tree seedlings and transplant trees. Together, these groups will plant 100,000 trees as part of the Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree project. The planting begins in March 2012.
The Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree project began in Costa Rica and throughout the course of 2011 gained enough consumer support to plant 35,000 trees on the Maleku reserve with the help from La Reserva Forest Foundation. By expanding into Brazil and partnering with Trees for the Future in 2012, etnies can continue to help reverse deforestation and protect our environment on an even larger scale.
etnies’ spring 2012 collection of Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree footwear is available at retailers worldwide and at etnies.com. For more information on etnies and its Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree collection, please visit etnies.com.
