Offsetting our Carbon Footprint - Tree Era X Moterra Campervans

TREE ERA x MOTERRA

Offsetting our Carbon Footprint

Here at Moterra, we are passionate about connecting people to the outdoors and inspiring them to protect our wild places.

At the beginning of 2020, we teamed up with Tree Era to help offset our carbon footprint. This effort is just one part of our commitment to sustainable energy and fighting climate change. Tree Era is a Calgary-based company that helps “individuals and businesses reduce their carbon footprint and combat the effects of climate change by community-funding the planting of trees.” They plant trees across North and South America, in the areas that need them most. You can read more about what they do at their website here.

In 2020, Moterra has committed to funded the planting 1,000 trees. Did you know that a single tree can offset up to 1 tonne of Co2 in its lifetime? That’s a whole heap of carbon!

A conversation with Founder, Trevor James

Why did you decide to support Tree Era?

As a business striving to encourage people to travel and explore the outdoors through self-contained van travel, we make it a priority to remain conscious of our impact and global footprint on this planet. While our business encourages people to go “off the grid,” we also know vehicles contribute to the climate crisis, so it is of utmost importance to us to ensure we are doing our part and taking care of the Earth as much as we use it. We feel that exploring our great outdoors is not only an opportunity to see the world, but also an opportunity to better ourselves and the places we visit along the way. When we found an opportunity through TreeEra to offset our carbon footprint by planting trees every month, it felt like a no-brainer to our team!

What are some other businesses that you think are doing well in the environmental space?

There are so many companies taking environmental initiatives that we look up to! However, being in the travel and tourism industry, sustainability on a local level is something that really strikes a chord for us. We are local to Jackson, Wyoming where the economy operates almost entirely off tourism, so we have to make a plug for our hometown where we’ve seen environmental initiatives go beyond just one business. The Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce has initiatives for sustainability that expand throughout the entire town, including a zero waste initiative and implementing a “Jackson Hole Code of Conduct” among schools in the area. We are really proud of our small town for its sustainability mission and hope other towns follow suit!

Do you have any other tips on how to incorporate sustainability into one’s everyday life?

Definitely! Simple changes — such as always opting to carry a reusable water bottle, mug, and grocery bag are easy ways to eliminate waste. Personally, I keep those things in my car to ensure I always have one with me. Supporting local businesses, shopping at farmers markets instead of chain grocery stores, and/or buying items in bulk is a huge reduction in waste as well. It’s easy to throw away a lettuce container once you go through it, but why not reuse that container for leftovers? There are many creative options to reuse products! Lastly, learning about the local recycling rules in your area and finding ways to compost food scraps, whether through your city or in your backyard, is a fantastic way to incorporate sustainable practices into your daily routine.

Speaking from a travel perspective, it can feel really tough to accomplish sustainable practices while ‘on the go.’ My advice would be to think ahead: pack small, reusable items in your suitcase such as a bamboo cutlery set, reusable water bottle and grocery bag. Carpool wherever you can and consider putting more hike and bike ride opportunities into your itinerary. Download maps ahead of time to save on paper. Opt out of cleaning services at your hotel. Shop local, and book any travel excursions through local operators — preferably ones that give back to their communities!