Inspired by David Attenborough and motivated by an urgency to mitigate the worst of climate change, Ailie decided to tackle her climate fears head on.
Community-Powered Tree Planting
During lockdown, Ailie set up Yoga Rewild to help people remain connected to nature. Through online lessons and classes in her local park, she created a community that has planted over 9000 trees around the world.
And through our tree sponsorship scheme, with the help of her yogis, they’ve sponsored a new tree right there in the park they all enjoy.
From Anarchist to Arboriculturist
As grateful as she is to disrupters like Greta Thunberg, as a mum of two young children, Ailie half-jokes that she’s too tired to live out her past’s anarchist ideals. Instead, she sees raising children as part of social activism and opts for a more inspirational approach.
Natural Connections
She explained something we wholeheartedly believe in: that if we feel a real connection to something, then we’re more likely to fight for it and do something positive.
“My ethos of teaching yoga is about helping people feel a connection with trees, with Mother Nature, with the Earth. Nature enhances health as well as feelings of wellbeing, connection, and meaning. It can help people deal with the stress of everyday life.”
A tree shared…
Ailie rallied her like minded yogis – pledging to donate additional funds for everyone who donated.
She chose to plant a ginkgo tree, for reasons both past and future. The ginkgo, nicknamed “the living fossil tree”, has existed unchanged for 200 million years . Triceratops and stegosaurus roamed amidst their fan-shaped leaves during the Mesozoic Era. But the species is now endangered.
Beyond the tragedy of losing such a time-honoured species, Ailie notes how many medicinal benefits are discovered in ancient trees like the ginkgo – “If we lose them, we lose that knowledge.”
Words of Wisdom
We’ll leave you with Ailie’s advice for those considering tree sponsorship:
“Do it! It can really bring people together in the community to have a shared project and a shared interest. That can be an incredibly positive experience. It’s very rewarding.”
