May 13th, 2026 – In the past five years, Dutch climate organisation Life Terra and its

partners have planted more than 36 million trees across over 30 European countries, an

area comparable in size to the city of Paris. Their ambition is to plant 500 million trees

across Europe, one for every European citizen. This is achieved by planting diverse, native

species adapted to local soils and changing climate conditions.

 

The organisation demonstrates how collaboration between policy, public funding, and local

engagement can directly contribute to ecosystem restoration together with 50 partner

organisations and more than 120,000 volunteers.

 

To mark its fifth anniversary, Life Terra organised a celebratory gathering on 7 May at the

Mariënwaerdt estate in the Betuwe region of the Netherlands. Ambassadors, partners, and

supporters came together for a programme featuring inspiring speakers and workshops led

by, among others, Humberto Tan, Jessica den Outer, and Iris Hond, focused on nature

restoration and climate action. The event served both as a moment of reflection and as a call

for greater action.

 

 

 

The urgency to actively restore nature continues to grow. According to the European

Environmental Agency, 81% of Europe’s natural habitats are in moderate to poor condition.

Forests are disappearing, soils are becoming depleted, and ecosystems are losing

resilience.

 

To help restore nature, and reconnect people with nature and nature restoration in particular,

Sven Kallen founded Life Terra five years ago. Since then, the initiative launched by this

Dutch foundation has grown into one of Europe’s largest reforestation movements.

Planting trees is one of the most affordable and effective ways to store CO₂, and this is

exactly where Life Terra focuses its efforts. Through a collaborative model with local

partners, the organisation works on restoring forests, agroforestry systems, food forests, and

urban green spaces both in publicly accessible forests and on private land.

More than 120,000 people are now actively involved in the projects, ranging from companies

such as EY and the Dutch National Police to schools across the country through educational

programmes.

 

 

 

Founder Sven Kallen considers the achievements significant, but far from the finish line “36 million trees planted in five years is an incredible achievement, but in light of the climate crisis, it is only the beginning. As long as the ecological quality and resilience of Europe’s

forests continue to decline faster due to climate change and biodiversity loss than we can

restore them, it is simply not enough. That is why we are raising our ambition: we are aiming

for 500 million trees, one for every European citizen, to give nature back its future,” said

Kallen.

 

Forests not only capture CO₂, they also retain water, strengthen biodiversity, and bring

people together. Over the next five years, the organisation will continue building a network of

people, communities, and organisations working together toward a Europe where nature can

recover and thrive.

 

 

 

● By 2026, 36 million trees have been planted, resulting in the sequestration of at least

563,000 tonnes of CO₂ and the restoration of more than 30,000 hectares;

● More than 120,000 people have actively participated in the projects;

● Collaborations with over 50 partners and more than 100 public institutions;

● In restored areas, observations confirm the return of several threatened species,

including the Eurasian nuthatch (Benelux), black stork (Germany, Poland, and the

Czech Republic), and the Iberian lynx (Spain and Portugal);

● The educational programme Terra Mission has now reached 35,000 classrooms,

engaging more than 420,000 primary and secondary school students worldwide.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact:

contact@lifeterra.eu or www.lifeterra.eu

 

 

 

Life Terra is a European climate initiative based in Amsterdam and Barcelona. Its commitment is to

restore the relationship with nature and contribute to mitigating climate change through

community-based tree-planting initiatives. Life Terra facilitates tree planting, educates future

generations through its Terra Mission initiative, and develops tree registration & monitoring

technology. More information