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Team Trees
DateOctober 25, 2019 – present (2019-10-25 – present)
Also known as
  • TeamTree
  • #TeamTrees
CauseDeforestation
MotiveTo take action against deforestation by planting 20 million trees
TargetTo raise $20 million crowdfunded U.S. dollars
Organized by
Websiteteamtrees.org

Team Trees (stylized as #TEAMTREES) is a collaborative fundraiser that raised 20 million U.S. dollars before the start of 2020 to plant 20 million trees. The initiative was started by American YouTubers MrBeast and Mark Rober, and was mostly supported by YouTubers.[1] All donations go to the Arbor Day Foundation, a tree planting organization that pledges to plant one tree for every U.S. dollar donated.[2] The Arbor Day Foundation began planting in January 2020 with plans to end "no later than December 2022".[2][3] It is estimated that 23 million trees would take up 210 km2 (81 sq mi) of land,[4] absorb around 1.6 million tons of carbon and remove 116 thousand tons of pollutants from the atmosphere.[5][6]

Background

[edit]

The idea started on May 24, 2019, when a fan suggested on Reddit that MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) should plant 20 million trees to celebrate reaching 20 million subscribers on YouTube.[7][3] The idea spread across YouTube, Reddit, and Twitter, mostly in the form of memes.[2][3] The idea may have been related to the 2019 Amazon rainforest wildfires. American YouTuber, engineer, and inventor Mark Rober partnered directly with Donaldson to launch the fundraiser. On October 25, 2019, Donaldson uploaded a YouTube video explaining his plan,[8][9] which claimed the top spot on YouTube's trending page, and caused numerous YouTubers to join the movement.[3][10]

The trees will be planted "in a variety of forests on public and private lands in areas of great need" starting in January 2020. The goal is to have them planted "no later than December 2022".[2][3]

As of July 31, 2025, the project has raised over $24,910,612 exceeding the fundraiser's goal to plant 20 million trees. As anticipated, more than 20 million trees have been planted.[11]

Efficacy

[edit]

As of April 2025, only 6% of the original 2,000 trees planted in one area were extant.[12]

Responses

[edit]

Many YouTubers created content to capitalize on the growing trend of Team Trees;[3] despite the Arbor Day Foundation reaching out to only a few hundred creators, Team Trees is now featured in over 80,000 videos from over 4200 global creators. Across Instagram and Twitter over 556,001 posts have garnered more than 4.6 billion views.[13]

Discovery Channel made a documentary called #TeamTrees about the campaign which aired on December 3, 2019, coupled with a donation of USD $100,203 the next day.[14]

Eike Lüdeling, the department head of horticultural sciences at the University of Bonn, stated, "It turns out that many of these seedlings, if you don't do this well or if people do it who don’t really care about those trees, then they all just die quickly. Sometimes it’s probably a better idea to plant fewer trees and really take care of them." Danny Cohn, the director of public relations for the Arbor Day Foundation, addressed these concerns, stating that "the partners who work with the organization are all required to have plans to help their trees thrive."[15]

Planting projects

[edit]

Planting locations of Team Trees include:[16]

Location Country Continent Number of Trees Status
Andes Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru South America 300,000 Completed
Central and Northern Victoria Australia Oceania 75,000 Completed
Eastern Queensland 300,000 Completed
Amazon rainforest Brazil South America 600,000 Completed
Atlantic Forest 170,000 Completed
Burundi Africa 100,000 Completed
Area of 2017 Elephant Hill Fire, British Columbia Canada North America 170,000 Completed
Area of 2017 Hanceville Fire, British Columbia 150,000 Completed
The Great Green Wall Chad, Mali, Senegal Africa 3,840,000 Completed
Minqin County, Gansu Province China Asia 25,000 Completed
Gaizhou, Liaoning Province China 45,000 Completed
Dominican Republic North America 200,000 Completed
France Europe 150,000 Completed
Haiti North America 1,050,000 Completed
Cauvery River Basin India Asia 905,439 Completed
West Papua Province Indonesia 450,000 Completed
Ireland Europe 100,000 Completed
Kijabe Forest Kenya Africa 950,000 Completed
Xe Sap and Xe Pian National Protected Areas Laos Asia 30,000
Kianjavato Mountain Range Madagascar Africa 400,000 Completed
600,000 Completed
Mozambique 1,252,007 Completed
Chitwan National Park Nepal Asia 885,000 Completed
Auckland New Zealand Oceania 28,789 Completed
Maitai valley 32,590 Completed
Nicaragua North America 975,000 Completed
Peru South America 235,800 Completed
Portugal Europe 10,000 Completed
Freetown Peninsula Sierra Leone Africa 80,000 Completed
Palencia Spain Europe 4,200 Completed
Mae Hong Son Province Thailand Asia 50,000 Completed
Adana Province Turkey 60,000 Completed
İzmir Province 50,000 Completed
United Kingdom Europe 24,000 Completed
50,000 Completed
Mersey Forest 270,000 Completed
Southeastern United States United States North America 1,000,000 Completed
Mississippi River Valley in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi 1,000,000
Butte County, California 100,000 Completed
Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida 983,000 Completed
Watersheds in Georgia 450,000 Completed
Michigan State Forests 2,207,067 Completed
Bitterroot National Forest, Montana 63,800 Completed
Flathead and Kootenai National Forests, Montana 281,132 Completed
Gallatin National Forest, Montana 275,000 Completed
Nebraska National Forest, Nebraska 40,000 Completed
Bladen Lakes State Forest, North Carolina 197,555 Completed
Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Oregon 23,100 Completed
Willamette River Basin, Oregon 500,000 Completed
South Carolina 1,350,000 Completed
Rappahannock River Watershed, Virginia 50,000 Completed
Washington 650,000 Completed

Team Seas

[edit]
Main article: Team Seas

On October 29, 2021, MrBeast and Mark Rober teamed up again to launch Team Seas, a successor to the project that aimed to help clean up marine debris. As with the Team Trees campaign, many influencers had also joined in spreading the message to help the project be a success. While the project is international, MrBeast and Mark Rober traveled to the Dominican Republic to help clean up there and address issues with trash collection in underdeveloped and underserved areas.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Team Trees

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Team Trees, stylized as #TEAMTREES, is a collaborative online campaign launched on October 25, 2019, by American YouTubers (Jimmy Donaldson) and to raise $20 million for planting an equivalent number of trees worldwide, with all donations directed to the for implementation. The initiative leveraged the influence of prominent content creators and garnered widespread participation from the online community, particularly younger donors via social media platforms like . The campaign rapidly surpassed its initial target, ultimately raising over $24 million and committing to the planting of more than 24 million trees across diverse global projects in regions including , , , , and , with planting efforts focused on , , and ecosystem restoration by 2022 and beyond. By official updates, over 24 million trees have been planted through partnerships emphasizing sustainable practices, such as protecting sources in arid areas and contributing to initiatives like 's Great Green Wall. This achievement marked one of the largest crowdfunded environmental efforts, engaging more than 800,000 individual contributors and demonstrating the potential of digital mobilization for conservation, though critics have noted that such plantings represent a small fraction relative to annual global rates exceeding billions of trees. The success paved the way for subsequent campaigns, including , targeting .

Origins

Inception and Motivations

The #TeamTrees campaign originated from a fan-driven challenge on Reddit in May 2019, where subscribers of Jimmy Donaldson, known online as MrBeast, proposed that he plant 20 million trees to commemorate his YouTube channel reaching 20 million subscribers. On May 23, 2019, MrBeast publicly acknowledged the suggestion via a tweet stating, "Reddit really wants me to plant 20 million trees," highlighting the grassroots pressure from his community to tie the milestone to environmental action rather than conventional celebrations. Several months later, on October 25, 2019, MrBeast partnered with fellow YouTuber Mark Rober, a former NASA engineer, to formalize the initiative as #TeamTrees, setting a goal to raise $20 million—one dollar per tree—through crowdfunding. The campaign collaborated with the Arbor Day Foundation, a nonprofit specializing in reforestation, to ensure verifiable planting efforts across degraded ecosystems worldwide. This structure addressed logistical challenges of large-scale afforestation while leveraging the influencers' platforms for maximum reach. The motivations behind #TeamTrees centered on redirecting viral internet momentum toward tangible environmental benefits, specifically combating and sequestering to mitigate . Proponents, including MrBeast's Gen Z audience, viewed as a direct, scalable response to ecological degradation, with the campaign's scale intended to inspire broader public engagement in conservation. While rooted in a subscriber celebration, the effort emphasized empirical outcomes over symbolic gestures, with all funds transparently allocated to vetted planting projects vetted by the Foundation's expertise in species selection and survival rates.

Key Founders and Participants

The #TeamTrees campaign was initiated by Jimmy Donaldson, known professionally as , a prominent , in collaboration with , a former engineer and fellow content creator. In October 2019, following a suggestion from a Reddit user challenging Donaldson to plant 20 million trees to commemorate his channel reaching 20 million subscribers, Donaldson partnered with Rober to launch the effort. The duo directed all proceeds to the for tree planting, emphasizing verifiable environmental impact. Numerous high-profile YouTubers and influencers served as key participants, amplifying the campaign through dedicated videos, challenges, and personal endorsements that drove donations. Notable collaborators included gaming streamer (Tyler Blevins), who produced promotional content; (Seán McLoughlin), who mobilized his audience; and creators like Preston, Unspeakable, , , and , each leveraging their platforms to highlight the initiative's goals. Additional supporters such as and the Smarter Every Day channel contributed technical explanations and outreach, broadening the campaign's reach across diverse online communities. The collective involvement of these figures, many with millions of subscribers, was instrumental in surpassing the $20 million fundraising target within two months.

Fundraising Campaign

Launch and Strategies

The #TeamTrees campaign launched publicly on October 25, 2019, when (Jimmy Donaldson) uploaded an announcement video titled "Planting 20,000,000 Trees, My Biggest Project Ever!" to his channel, challenging viewers to help raise $20 million for planting 20 million trees by January 1, 2020. The video, co-initiated with fellow , outlined the goal of combating through collective online fundraising efforts. Fundraising strategies centered on leveraging the influence of the YouTube creator community, with over 600 YouTubers producing promotional videos to amplify reach and encourage donations via the hashtag #TeamTrees. All contributions were channeled through the official site teamtrees.org or 's integrated donation tools, directing funds exclusively to the for verified tree-planting initiatives. This partnership ensured transparency and efficient allocation, focusing on in degraded areas worldwide. The approach emphasized viral dissemination over traditional advertising, capitalizing on digital platforms' scale to achieve rapid momentum.

Milestones and Total Raised

The #TeamTrees campaign, launched on October 25, 2019, set an initial fundraising goal of $20 million to fund the planting of 20 million trees through the , with donations structured at $1 per tree. Momentum built rapidly, aided by high-profile contributions such as Elon Musk's $1 million pledge on October 29, 2019, pushing early totals past $7.7 million within days of launch. The campaign exceeded its $20 million target on December 19, 2019, after 56 days, drawing over 800,000 unique donors from more than 200 countries and territories. Post-goal donations persisted, surpassing $21.6 million by early 2020 and funding additional trees beyond the original commitment. A significant milestone came in June 2021, when the effort reached 23 million trees funded, reflecting sustained . has continued incrementally, with recent small donations recorded as late as October 26, 2025. As of October 2025, the campaign has raised over $24.9 million, committing funds for 24,930,976 trees, exceeding the initial objective by more than 24% while maintaining the $1-per-tree model. These totals are tracked via the official leaderboard on the campaign's site, administered in partnership with the , though planting timelines extend beyond fundraising due to logistical factors.

Planting Implementation

Partnerships and Methodology

The served as the primary implementing partner for the Team Trees campaign, receiving all donations and committing to plant one per dollar raised, with funds allocated toward vetted and restoration projects worldwide. The foundation collaborated with a network of specialized organizations, including Taking Root for initiatives, Eden Reforestation Projects for mangrove restoration, Veritree for coastal , , Restoration Era, Forest Trends, and the , to execute plantings in diverse ecosystems. These partnerships emphasized local expertise and community engagement to maximize ecological benefits and survival rates. Planting methodology focused on restoring degraded lands, enhancing , and improving through targeted , , and habitat rehabilitation efforts. The employed a science-based approach, using (GIS) mapping and data analytics to identify high-need areas, select climate-resilient native or adapted , and integrate local for site preparation and maintenance. Survival was prioritized via strategies such as employing local communities for planting and monitoring, providing education on sustainable land management, and conducting follow-up assessments to replace failed saplings, with partners required to demonstrate long-term viability plans. For instance, in the , Taking Root implemented systems combining trees with crops to support farmer livelihoods; in , Eden Reforestation Projects restored mangroves to combat erosion; and in , Veritree efforts targeted coastal ecosystems. Key projects included over 2.6 million trees planted in state forests to bolster urban and rural , approximately 3.8 million trees along Africa's Great Green Wall spanning , , and to combat , and 600,000 trees in Brazil's to aid habitat recovery. By June 2021, more than 8 million trees had been physically planted across public and private lands, with the full 23 million (exceeding the initial 20 million goal due to additional donations) targeted for completion by December 2022, despite delays from the . This decentralized, partner-driven model leveraged the foundation's global reach while ensuring accountability through progress reporting and third-party verification where applicable.

Global Planting Locations

The #TeamTrees campaign facilitated tree plantings across diverse global ecosystems, prioritizing areas for , recovery, watershed protection, and enhancement through partnerships with organizations such as the , Eden Reforestation Projects, and . Planting efforts spanned 30 countries and 11 U.S. states, with over 20 million trees confirmed planted by October 2022, exceeding the initial 20-million-tree goal funded by $21.5 million in donations. Sites were selected based on local needs, including degraded forests, national parks, and urban-adjacent zones, with chosen for suitability and survival rates monitored via partner verification processes. In , significant domestic U.S. projects included 2.6 million trees in Michigan State Forest lands for habitat restoration, 983,000 at Tyndall Air Force Base in following hurricane damage, and 1.35 million longleaf pines across southeastern states (, , Georgia, ) to revive native ecosystems. Internationally, saw 320,000 trees in British Columbia's fire-affected Hanceville and Elephant Hill areas, while Nicaragua's CommuniTrees program planted 975,000 trees for community-driven , and Haiti's mangrove restoration effort accounted for 1.05 million trees to combat . Dominican Republic projects added 200,000 trees via Trees with Purpose initiatives. hosted large-scale efforts, such as 3.84 million trees along the Great Green Wall in , , and to combat , 1.25 million mangroves in by Eden Reforestation Projects, and 950,000 in Kenya's Kijabe Forest for slope stabilization and . received 1 million trees across mangroves and the Kianjavato Mountain Range, 100,000 via tree nurseries and education programs, and 80,000 on the Peninsula. In , India’s Cauvery River Basin saw 905,000 trees to address soil degradation and , Nepal planted 885,000 around and 72,000 in Jalthal Forest for wildlife corridors, and Indonesia allocated 450,000 for West Papua mangroves and forests. Additional sites included 60,000 in Türkiye's , 50,000 in Thailand's , 30,000 in Laos' national protected areas, and smaller plantings in (70,000 total in Minqin County and Province). Europe featured 270,000 trees in the 's Mersey Forest, 150,000 for in , 100,000 to expand woodlands in Ireland, and 10,000 in 's "Free Trees for Portugal" initiative with Gone West Global. and the added urban and woodland sites totaling over 100,000 trees. South America and Oceania included 600,000 trees in Brazil's and 170,000 in the Atlantic Forest, 235,800 for Peruvian rainforest restoration, and 300,000 across the in , , , , and . In , 275,000 trees supported forest corridors in Victoria and wildlife protection in , while planted around 74,000 across regional and valley sites. contributed with 1,667 trees in the Suroeste Antioqueño region. These locations reflect a of distributed, partner-led implementation to maximize ecological impact, though long-term survival depends on ongoing monitoring amid challenges like local variability. By 2025, cumulative plantings exceeded 24 million, incorporating additional donor contributions beyond the core campaign.

Progress and Verification

The Team Trees campaign tracked fundraising progress via a public donation counter on teamtrees.org, which recorded daily contributions tied directly to tree commitments at a rate of one dollar per tree. By December 2019, the initiative surpassed its initial goal of $20 million raised, enabling commitments for 20 million trees through partnerships with the and other reforestation organizations. Planting implementation followed, with progress updates provided through partner reports and site listings of specific projects, including locations, , and completion statuses. Verification of fund allocation involved engagement of an independent accounting firm to confirm that donations were directed toward activities, rather than administrative overhead. The , as the primary coordinator, oversaw global distribution to vetted partners such as Eden Reforestation Projects and local forestry groups, relying on their established monitoring protocols, including site inspections and growth assessments, to confirm plantings. However, physical planting trailed commitments in early stages; by June 2021, while $23 million had been raised for 23 million trees, only over 8 million had been physically planted, with full completion projected by late 2022. As of October 2025, the campaign reports 24,930,976 trees planted and in the ground across diverse ecosystems, exceeding the original target through continued donations and partner efforts. These figures derive from aggregated partner verifications, though independent third-party audits of survival rates or long-term establishment remain limited to partner-specific methodologies rather than campaign-wide external oversight. Public skepticism has arisen regarding granular proof of individual survival, but the Foundation's track record of planting over 500 million trees historically supports the reliability of their reporting standards.

Efficacy and Environmental Impact

Quantifiable Outcomes

The Team Trees campaign surpassed its initial fundraising target of $20 million within 56 days of launch on October 25, 2019, ultimately raising approximately $21.6 million from over 800,000 donors by early 2020, with continued contributions pushing totals beyond $24 million. These funds were allocated at a rate of $1 per tree to the and its global network of planting partners. By December 2022, the original goal of planting 20 million trees was achieved, with verified planting extending to projects across every continent except . As of 2025 updates, a total of 24,930,976 trees have been physically planted, exceeding the initial target through ongoing efforts focused on , , and urban tree initiatives. Verification of planting progress is managed by the , which tracks implementation via on-ground partners and reports milestones such as over 8 million trees planted by mid-2021 and full completion of core projects by the extended deadline. Environmental metrics modeled by the U.S. Forest Service indicate that 20 million trees from the campaign sequester carbon equivalent to removing 1.24 million passenger vehicles from roads for one year, though actual sequestration varies by , location, and rates. Planted trees contribute to broader outcomes including watershed restoration (e.g., in the and basin) and habitat enhancement for such as the and lemurs, with efforts also addressing in regions like the Great Green Wall in . Survival rates and long-term efficacy depend on site-specific factors, with the emphasizing selection and maintenance protocols to maximize viability.

Carbon Sequestration and Limitations

The , recipient of the Team Trees funds, estimates that a mature sequesters approximately 48 pounds (22 kilograms) of (CO2) annually, though young trees absorb far less during initial growth phases. For the campaign's approximately 24 million trees planted by 2025, this translates to a potential annual sequestration of roughly 528,000 metric tons of CO2 once mature, assuming average conditions and full survival; however, actual uptake varies by species, , , and age, with early-year absorption often below 10 kilograms per . Over a 40- to 50-year lifespan, a single might sequester 1 to 6 metric tons of CO2 cumulatively, yielding an estimated total of 24 to 144 million metric tons for the full planting if all thrive, though this remains a fraction—less than 0.01% annually—of global anthropogenic emissions exceeding 36 billion metric tons. Sequestration efficacy is constrained by high variability in survival rates, which can range from 50% to 90% depending on planting method, location, and maintenance; for instance, direct seeding or large-scale efforts often see lower initial establishment than tended saplings, with mortality from , pests, or poor releasing stored carbon back into the atmosphere. provide temporary storage rather than permanent removal, as decay, fire, or harvest can remobilize up to 50% of sequestered carbon within decades, unlike geological methods such as . Placement in inappropriate ecosystems, such as converting biodiverse grasslands to forests, may reduce net carbon benefits by disrupting native stocks or increasing emissions from land preparation. Furthermore, sequestration rates decline as trees age and growth slows, with net benefits delayed 20-40 years post-planting while emissions continue unabated; empirical models indicate that even optimized offsets only a portion of historical emissions, not current rates, emphasizing trees' role as a supplementary rather than primary . Independent analyses of similar initiatives highlight overestimation risks in promotional claims, as unverified survival and growth data inflate projected offsets without rigorous monitoring.

Criticisms and Controversies

Logistical and Ecological Concerns

The #TeamTrees campaign faced logistical challenges inherent to large-scale , including coordination across multiple partners and regions, which delayed planting timelines amid external factors such as the and wildfires. Despite these hurdles, the , the primary implementing partner, reported planting 4.6 million trees in the first year following the 2019 launch, with full completion targeted by December 2022. Critics highlighted verification difficulties, noting that tracking individual tree survival and growth across diverse global sites demands robust monitoring, which many mass-planting efforts historically lack, leading to overstated success claims in similar initiatives. Ecologically, concerns centered on the potential for planted trees to fail long-term due to high mortality rates, with partners like the U.S. Forest Service estimating an annual 3% loss for maintained plantings, compounding over decades to reduce net sequestration efficacy. Planting non-native or mismatched species risks disrupting local ecosystems, promoting monocultures that outcompete indigenous and fauna, or even intensifying wildfires by altering fuel loads in unsuitable . While the emphasized selection and site-specific methodology to mitigate such issues, broader analyses of trillion-tree pledges warn that without rigorous ecological matching, efforts can inadvertently exacerbate or provide negligible climate benefits compared to preservation. These limitations underscore that , even at #TeamTrees' scale of over 20 million funded trees, addresses symptoms of rather than root causes like ongoing .

Opportunity Costs and Performative Aspects

Critics have emphasized the opportunity costs of diverting $20 million toward at $1 per tree, arguing that equivalent funds could achieve greater environmental impact through alternatives like preventing , which sequesters carbon more rapidly and cost-effectively by preserving mature ecosystems already optimized for absorption. analyses estimate Team Trees' long-term at roughly $3.3 per of CO2 over 40 years, accounting for a projected 70% mortality rate before maturity, in contrast to protection programs averting emissions at $0.12 per with immediate effect. This disparity arises because planted saplings require decades to match the sequestration efficiency of established forests, while allocation for new trees incurs additional hidden costs, such as forgone agricultural use. Comparisons to other reforestation entities further underscore these costs; for example, Eden Reforestation Projects reportedly plants trees for approximately 10 cents each in regions like , enabling the Team Trees budget to potentially support over 200 million trees instead of 20 million, with emphasis on high-carbon mangroves. Such alternatives prioritize scalable, low-overhead models over campaigns reliant on nonprofit intermediaries like the , which handle maintenance but at higher per-unit expense. The campaign's performative elements stem from its structure as a celebrity-led viral , where YouTubers produced donation-tied content to amplify reach, leading some to view it as prioritizing creator visibility and subscriber growth over rigorous impact maximization. This approach, while effective in mobilizing $24 million from a young, online demographic by December 2019, has been faulted for fostering "feel-good" giving that overlooks evidence-based priorities, potentially crowding out donations to superior interventions and reinforcing a of symbolic action amid urgent systemic challenges like emissions reduction. Proponents, however, attribute its success to this format's ability to convert audiences into philanthropists, though independent evaluations question whether the publicity gains justify the suboptimal allocation.

Reception and Legacy

Public and Media Responses

The #TeamTrees campaign elicited strong positive engagement from the public, especially among subscribers and younger online audiences, who responded enthusiastically to its straightforward of donating $1 per tree. Within two months of its October 25, 2019, launch, it raised over $20 million, enabling the to commit to planting 20 million trees by 2022, with subsequent milestones reaching 23 million by June 2021 and exceeding 24 million thereafter. This surge was driven by participation, including small individual contributions that formed the bulk of funds, alongside larger pledges that accelerated progress toward the goal by early 2020. Participation extended beyond donors to content creators, with over 600 YouTubers producing videos to promote the effort, ranging from educational explainers to creative stunts like virtual tree-planting simulations in games such as . High-profile endorsements amplified this momentum; for example, contributed $1 million worth of trees on November 19, 2019, citing the campaign's alignment with environmental goals, while other figures like integrated it into their content to rally fans. Public sentiment on platforms like reflected optimism about collective impact, with users praising the campaign's viral mechanics for fostering awareness of without requiring complex policy advocacy. Media coverage generally highlighted the campaign's success in mobilizing digital-native philanthropy, positioning it as a model for engaging Gen Z in environmental causes through accessible, gamified . Outlets like The Hill described it on December 20, 2019, as a phenomenon where influencers "sparked" $20 million in donations, emphasizing the role of community challenges in commemorating 's 20 million subscribers. Similarly, recapped the achievement in January 2020 as a positive unification of the ecosystem for planetary benefit. Reports from nonprofit-focused sources lauded its digital strategy for rapidly scaling donations via partnerships like the , crediting and Mark Rober's involvement for authentic appeal to youth demographics. While some analyses noted logistical hurdles in tree survival, the prevailing narrative celebrated the initiative's motivational efficacy and verifiable outcomes over traditional advocacy models.

Influence on Philanthropy and Awareness

The #TeamTrees campaign exemplified the efficacy of influencer-driven digital philanthropy, raising $20 million in just 56 days from over 800,000 donors across 200 countries and territories, establishing a record for the largest YouTube fundraiser at the time. This model leveraged the networks of prominent YouTubers, including MrBeast and Mark Rober, to channel funds directly to the Arbor Day Foundation, where each dollar donated corresponded to one tree planted globally. The initiative's success highlighted how authentic, goal-oriented appeals could mobilize Gen Z donors—digital natives accustomed to social media participation—bypassing traditional fundraising channels and demonstrating scalable collaboration between creators and established nonprofits. By surpassing its initial target and ultimately funding over 24 million trees, #TeamTrees influenced subsequent creator-led efforts, such as #TeamSeas, which raised $30 million in for ocean trash removal, and #TeamWater, which achieved $40 million in 2025 for clean water access. These campaigns underscored a replicable framework for : clear, measurable objectives tied to environmental outcomes, amplified by viral leaderboards and challenges that fostered sustained donor . Nonprofits gained exposure to younger demographics previously untapped, as the reported expanded awareness and partnerships stemming from the effort. This shift encouraged broader adoption of creator collaborations, emphasizing tangible impacts like over abstract . On awareness, #TeamTrees heightened public focus on and reforestation's role in mitigating , with hundreds of YouTubers producing content that reached millions, framing tree-planting as an accessible . The campaign's viral mechanics, including endorsements from figures like who pledged funds for one million trees, united online communities around verifiable environmental goals, countering cynicism about performative by delivering planted trees across 60 projects in regions like and . Its legacy persists in inspiring similar digital movements, proving that concentrated online efforts can translate into real-world ecological interventions while educating participants on causal links between individual contributions and preservation.

References

  1. https://teamtrees.org/
  2. https://tubularlabs.com/blog/teamtrees-social-video/
  3. https://www.businessinsider.com/why-top-youtubers-talking-about-planting-20-million-team-trees-2019-10
  4. https://x.com/MrBeast/status/1131632811008548865
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  7. https://shortyawards.com/12th/teamtrees
  8. https://dallasinnovates.com/teamtrees-partners-with-social-media-influencers-to-plant-20m-trees/
  9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPJKxAhLw5I
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  11. https://www.intelligentliving.co/mrbeast-partners-over-600-youtubers-plant-20-million-trees/
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  13. https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisstrub/2019/10/29/teamtrees/
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  21. https://cushman.host.dartmouth.edu/courses/engs41/Sequestration.pdf
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  35. https://thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/environment/475495-youtube-celebrities-spark-20-million-donation-for/
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  38. https://www.cbc.ca/kidsnews/post/recap-teamtrees-and-youtuber-mrbeast-make-groot-proud
  39. https://sofii.org/article/team-trees-digital-fundraising-success
  40. https://www.nonprofitpro.com/article/mrbeasts-40m-teamwater-push-lessons-for-nonprofits-in-creator-led-fundraising/
  41. https://goodness-exchange.com/20-million-new-trees-around-the-world-teamtrees-mrbeast-planting/
  42. https://spgs.org/ipaulina/team-trees-and-how-its-uniting-the-internet/
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