Planting a tree is simple. But why you plant, and how you turn it into a lasting impact, is what makes it meaningful.
Tree-Nation helps you turn tree planting from a one-time act into a meaningful habit. This article explains the two foundational concepts that make it happen: Planting Habits and Planting Actions.
The simple idea: Why and how
Every tree planted on Tree-Nation answers two questions:
- Why are you planting? → This is a Planting Habit (the motivation and initiative)
- How will you plant? → This is a Planting Action (the method)
Together, they turn individual trees into meaningful, repeatable impact.
What is a Planting Habit?
A Planting Habit is the reason or occasion behind planting a tree.
Think of it as a theme or motivation — expressed as a hashtag — that gives purpose to your planting activity.
Examples of Planting Habits
- #EarthDay — planting to celebrate our planet
- #WomensDay — planting to support equality
- #BirthdayTrees — planting to celebrate someone's special day
- #OffsetProduct — planting for each product or order sold through webshop integration
- #OffsetTeam — planting monthly to offset your team's emissions
- #OffsetCitizen — planting monthly to offset your personal emissions
- #InMemory — planting to honor someone's memory
- #ThanksForComing — planting to thank guests or visitors
Key characteristics of Planting Habits
- Stable and shared. Habits aren't owned by individual users. Once created, their meaning is consistent across the platform.
- Categorized. Habits are organized into themes like Environmental Impact, Celebrations, Team Building, Client Relationships, and more.
- Aggregated. Every tree planted under a Habit contributes to a global counter, showing the collective impact of everyone planting for that cause.
- Not a service. A Habit itself isn't what you buy — it's a theme that organizes your planting activities.
Why Habits matter
Habits transform tree planting from an isolated action into a cultural moment. When you plant under #EarthDay, you're not just planting one tree — you're joining thousands of others planting for the same reason. Your impact adds to theirs.
What is a Planting Action?
A Planting Action is the method you use to plant under a Habit. It's the template that defines exactly how the planting happens. Note: this feature will be launched soon.
Every Action answers four questions:
- WHAT — What species? How many trees?
- WHOM — Who is the tree for? (yourself, an employee, a client, a friend)
- HOW — With what message? A pesonalized or company branding message.
- WHEN — When does it happen? (one-time, scheduled, recurring)
Examples of Planting Actions
Under the #BirthdayTrees Habit, you might find these Actions:
- "Gift a tree to the birthday person on their specific date, with yearly recurrence."
- "Gift trees to followers whose birthdays are on their profile."
Under the #OffsetProduct Habit:
- "Gift a tree per product sold via Shopify."
- "Gift a tree per purchase via WooCommerce."
Under the #WomensDay Habit:
- "Give a tree to every woman in your company, with yearly recurrence."
- "Plant trees in projects supporting equality."
Key characteristics of Planting Actions
- Linked to a single Habit. Every Action belongs to exactly one Habit. This ensures clarity of purpose and contributes to the growth of the Planting Habit´s evolution.
- Adoptable templates. When you find an Action that fits your goals, you can adopt it with just a few configuration choices.
- Can be automated. Many Actions can recur on a schedule or trigger automatically (e.g., for each new customer, each employee birthday, each sale).
- Structured and reusable. Instead of starting from scratch every time, you pick an Action and customize it to your needs.
How Habits and Actions work together
Here's the relationship in practice:
↓
"#WomensDay — celebrate women, support equality."
↓
PLANTING ACTIONS (the HOW, multiple options)
-"Plant a tree for every woman on your team."
- "Plant in projects supporting equality."
- "Schedule recurring plantings every March 8."
↓
MY ACTION (your personalized, activated version)
"Plant 750 trees in the Madagascar project every March 8,
with message: 'Celebrating the women who make our company thrive.'"
Two ways to start planting
Tree-Nation supports two journeys depending on how you approach planting:
Option 1: Quick Plant
Best for: "I just want to plant a tree right now."
- Click "Plant a Tree Now" on the homepage
- Species pre-selected, one tree by default
- Customize if you want, or just proceed
- Checkout and done — your tree is planted
After your tree is planted, we may invite you to give it meaning by adopting a Habit.
Option 2: Plant with Purpose (Habit-driven)
Best for: "I know why I want to plant, and I want it to match a theme."
- Browse the Habit Library by category
- Find a Habit that resonates with you (e.g., #EarthDay, #NetZeroTeam)
- Choose an Action under that Habit
- Customize the template (recipient, message, frequency)
- Activate the Action — it's now part of your ongoing impact
Planting Habit categories
Browse Habits by these categories to find one that fits your goals:
| Category | Example Habits | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Act for the Planet | #EarthDay, #ClimateAction, #Biodiversity, #OffsetCitizen | Climate-focused individuals & companies |
| Celebrate with Trees | #BirthdayTrees, #WeddingForest, #Christmas | Life moments, gifts, milestones |
| Grow with Your Team | #NewHire, #OffsetTeam, #WorkAnniversary | HR, employee engagement |
| Build Lasting Partnerships | #NewCustomer, #ThanksForComing, #GreenPartnership | B2B client relationships |
| Share Gratitude & Care | #ThankYouTree, #FriendshipTrees, #InMemory | Personal appreciation, tributes |
| For Every Transaction | #OffsetProduct, #ShipmentOffset, #BookingForest | E-commerce, subscriptions |
| Mood & Emotion | #Hope, #Kindness, #Healing | Personal expression, wellbeing |
Frequently asked questions
Q: Can I adopt multiple Habits? A: Yes. Most users adopt several Habits covering different parts of their life or business (e.g., a company might use #OffsetTeam for operations, #NewCustomer for marketing, and #EarthDay for annual campaigns).
Q: What's the difference between a Habit and an Action? A: A Habit is the theme (why you're planting). An Action is the template (how you plant). Think of the Habit as a category and the Action as a specific recipe within that category.
Q: Can I create my own Habit? A: Yes, any user can create a custom Habit. However, only approved Habits (by Tree-Nation) will be featured on the official Habits page with full marketing pages. Custom Habits are visible on the platform but without the dedicated marketing page.
Q: What languages are Habits available in? A: Habit and Action pages are live-translated into English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and German.
Q: Do I need to use a Habit to plant a tree? A: No. You can plant trees without a Habit via Quick Plant. Habits simply add meaning and help you organize your ongoing impact.
Q: Can Habits be edited or removed? A: Official Habits are stable — their meaning doesn't change once created. You can stop participating in a Habit at any time, but the Habit itself remains in the library.
Q: Are Habits and Actions only for companies? A: No. Individuals, companies, and organizations can all use Habits and Actions. Some Habits are designed for personal moments (birthdays, tributes), others for business (clients, employees, transactions).
Getting started
- Explore the Habit Library — Browse by category to find Habits that resonate with you
- Pick an Action — Each Habit has templates to fit different situations
- Customize and activate — Choose your trees, recipients, message, and timing
- Track your impact — See your contribution to the Habit alongside the global community
Questions about setting up an Action for your company? Contact our team