Ecosia, a search engine that plants trees powered by user searches, recently shared a map illustrating its impact in Nicaragua — and it was pretty impressive.
"Thanks to your searches, we've made huge progress in Nicaragua!" the organization said in its Instagram post, which featured a before and after look at a parcel of land in November 2014 and December 2022. The 2014 photo showed a semi-barren landscape, while the 2022 photo was lush with trees.
"Your trees here are stopping soil erosion, restoring water sources, and improving lives with the creation of forest gardens," Ecosia said in the post.
Ecosia uses ad revenue from user queries to plant trees across the world. According to the website, 20 million people already use Ecosia, which can be added as an extension to web browsers like Safari.
It takes about 45 searches with Ecosia to plant one tree — a feat that most people could probably accomplish in just a few days or less. This has enabled the company to plant more than 150 million trees in more than 35 countries, including France, Thailand, Cameroon, Nicaragua, Sudan, Brazil, the United States, Peru, and Nicaragua.
In Nicaragua, the company has planted 2,561,370 trees, restoring 1,512 hectares of land (about 3,700 acres) in the process. Ecosia's Nicaragua project is helping to reforest one of the world's largest volcanic mountain ranges and tropical lowlands.
"We use a landscape approach to stop soil erosion, restore water sources, and empower farmers by developing a more sustainable subsistence model," Ecosia said on its website.
Reforestation has a sizable impact on people, other animals, and the planet. According to the U.S. Forest Service, healthy forests provide us with clean air and water, opportunities for outdoor recreation, habitat for fish and other wildlife, aesthetic benefits, jobs, and more.
In fact, according to the Arbor Day Foundation, one mature tree absorbs more than 48 pounds of air pollution each year, which can provide clean, breathable air for up to four people.
Ecosia's Nicaragua project has helped to protect spider monkeys, anteaters, and yellow-naped parrots. The organization is also working alongside local farmers to develop a more sustainable subsistence model that will make their farming endeavors more profitable while protecting the environment.
Planting more trees will help us in the fight against our rapidly overheating planet, as these amazing plants help with carbon sequestration — that is, they capture and store this planet-warming gas. As a healthy tree grows, it stores more carbon annually.
Ecosia is not the only group planting trees for a better world. Luckily, people all over the planet are making an impact. For instance, one Brazilian couple has planted more than two million trees over 20 years and has made commendable progress in restoring a subtropical paradise.
Instagram users were all about Ecosia's reforestation progress in Nicaragua.
"These trees are making unimaginable differences," wrote one user.
"Every capable human should be contributing to the re-greening of Mother Earth…somewhere," commented another.
One person summed it up sweetly, simply calling the video "heart warming."
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