Perfect alternative, ethical gift for Valentine's Day

This Valentine’s Day, award-winning conservation charity Trees for Life is offering people the opportunity to buy a gift with a conscience.

Its ‘I Love Pine’ Valentine’s appeal is giving people the chance to have a specially-dedicated Scots pine, or grove of pines, planted in Scotland’s beautiful Caledonian Forest on behalf of a loved one.

Trees for Life's Founder and Executive Director, Alan Watson Featherstone said: “Valentine’s Day sees a huge increase in the sale of flowers, many of which are air-freighted to the UK from overseas. Our appeal allows people to replace that negative carbon footprint with something truly positive – a tree or grove that will grow for decades to come as part of a renewed forest in the Highlands, and that will help to reduce the build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

“Every tree bought will make a real difference to our work in restoring the Caledonian Forest, and to acknowledge each customer’s ‘love affair’ with pine, we’ll provide them with a free ‘I Love Pine’ Valentine’s Day sticker.“

The Caledonian Forest is a vital habitat that is Scotland’s equivalent of the rainforests, and is home to a unique range of wildlife, from red squirrels and pine martens to the capercaillie and wood ants. Many of these species are being promoted as part of this initiative.
Trees can be bought online. The website also features a daily competition with high-quality artistic forest-related prizes, as well as quotes from a host of well-known Scots who are backing the appeal.

Every tree purchased will boost Trees for Life’s 100,000 Trees Appeal – a bid to plant 100,000 trees during 2007, as part of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Billion Tree Campaign.
To join Trees for Life, to dedicate a tree or grove to a loved one, or to join a volunteer Work Week planting trees, visit Trees for Life - I love Pine website or call 01309 691292.

Notes to editors:
1. Trees for Life is a pioneering charity in ecological restoration. It aims to restore the Caledonian Forest to an area of 1,500 square kilometres in the Highlands west of Inverness. Today only 1% of the original Caledonian Forest remains.

2. Since planting its first trees in 1991 in Glen Affric, Trees for Life has planted over half a million trees. It has won several awards for its conservation work, including UK Conservation Project of the Year in 1991.

3. Communications and campaigns consultancy specialising in human rights, development and the environment Submitted by Communications & Campaigns International