sapgreen

1. What is sapgreen.com?
2. Is sapgreen.com an NGO?
3. What happens when I buy a tree as a gift?
4. What types of trees will be planted?
5. How long will it take for my tree to grow to full height?
6. How do you prepare the saplings for plantation?
7. How do I know the condition of my tree after it is planted?
8. How long after I’ve paid money will the trees be planted?
9. What’s the survival rate of the trees you plant?
10. Will the trees be cut down in the future and what sorts of guarantees are in place that they won’t be before they’ve at least absorbed the CO2 they were meant to?
11. Do you have government backing?
12. What are the uses of planting a tree?
13. Why should I offset in India?
14. Why does a tree cost Rs.300?

Q. What is sapgreen.com?
A. At Sapgreen.com, we give you the chance to buy a unique gift in the form of trees. Whenever you need to buy a gift to someone, you can do that in a more meaningful way by planting a tree in their name.
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Q. Is sapgreen.com an NGO?
A. No. Sapgreen.com is a business undertaken by Enlen Marketing and Renewable Energy Systems Private Limited with the main objective of improving the green cover of the planet. The main reason we run a company and not an NGO is that this gives us more opportunities to carry out our objectives.
Here at Sapgreen.com, we only provide a means for you to carry out your obligation towards nature. The decision finally rests upon you.
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Q. What happens when I buy a tree as a gift?
A. As soon as you buy the gift, an automated email is sent to you confirming receipt of the order. Based on the address you have provided us, we send the tree-planting certificate and a small momento via courier. A sapling is then booked at our associate nurseries. The sapling is then planted at the designated location on a fixed date.
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Q. What types of trees will be planted?
A. The trees planted will be native or naturalized species. Neem will be the most preferred variety followed by other lesser available species such as peepal, banyan and mahogany.
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Q. How long will it take for my tree to grow to full height?
A. Trees take anywhere between 20 years and 100 years to grow to full maturity depending upon the type of the tree. A detailed list is given here: More about trees.
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Q. How do you prepare the saplings for plantation?
A. We currently buy saplings from commercial nurseries in and around the city. We have plans to start our own nursery shortly.
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Q. How do I know the condition of my tree after it is planted?
A. Once you have ordered the tree, we will send you the exact location where it is planted. In case the tree you opted for is still very young, we will look after it at our associate nurseries till it reaches a stage when it can be planted and we will inform you of the same. Based on your choice, we will send you monthly email updates on the condition of your tree. The planting ID which we provide you will be a unique identification number which you can use to find out the exact address of your planted tree. Check out our planting map to find out more about this
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Q. How long after I’ve paid money will the trees be planted?
A. As soon as you pay, we will keep aside a sapling for planting and assign it the unique planting ID. Once we have a substantial amount of saplings (usually 100), we plant them at the location. After the planting we will send you an email confirmation of the location where it was planted. The maximum time for the sapling to be planted after you have paid is 30 days.
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Q. What’s the survival rate of the trees you plant?
A. The survival of trees depend on various factors such as grazing animals, rains etc. The amount you pay for planting a tree covers this issue as well. A small part of the amount you pay allows us to insure the tree against external factors which may affect the survival of the tree. Usually, the quality of the saplings chosen ensure atleast 90% survival.
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Q. Will the trees be cut down in the future and what sorts of guarantees are in place that they won’t be before they’ve at least absorbed the CO2 they were meant to?
A. We ensure that the trees will stand for a very long time by planting them on public lands which are guaranteed from future developmental works such as road widening. We also have setup a trust which will look into the issue of protecting the trees. Even after the tree dies of natural causes, it can be safely assumed that it will be used for furnitures where it continues to store the carbon. The reason for this is that the trees we plant such as neem and mahogany are values for their timber.
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Q. Do you have government backing?
A. Yes. Since we operate on government wastelands, it is compulsary for us to get a no-objection certificate from the government.
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Q. What are the uses of planting a tree?
A. Trees help the environment in so many ways it would take forever to list them all but here are some vital reasons (This is a well thought out answer given by www.treeflights.com at their site)…
1) Trees take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store it in their woody tissues – 50% of a trees dry weight is carbon. This process, called sequestration, is very slow initially but accelerates as the tree matures. Globally, forests currently absorb between 1/5 and 1/4 of all human emissions of CO2 .This is clearly a very important factor in the struggle to combat global warming as CO2 is the major greenhouse gas. Planting trees on its own will not solve the problem of global warming – but it does help.
2) Trees support a vast array of other plant and animal species. Up to 500 different kinds of animals may depend on one oak tree for their survival! Humans have been very adept at making other species extinct. Planting a tree helps to reduce this process.
3) Trees produce oxygen which is kind of useful. Try holding your breath for a few minutes and you’ll realise why!
4) Trees work like giant green air-filters, constantly purifying our atmosphere, taking out particulate matter and other pollutants.
5) Trees are used by us for so many things we tend to take them for granted. From newspapers and magazines to doors and windows, through cricket bats and baskets to tables and chairs. The list is endless. You can even run your car on wood alcohol produced from timber. The great thing about using materials drawn from trees is that ,as long as you keep replacing them, you are using a renewable resource.
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Q. Why should I offset in India?
A. Probably, the only compelling reason for you to plant a tree in India would be the price. We do not give you any other reason for planting in India. There are theories which say that planting in tropical regions is better than planting in temperate regions but this is still not really verified. We believe that trees are good wherever they are planted on the earth. The reason we can offer low prices is due to the fact that the operating costs in India are lower than in far more advanced nations for any type of activity.
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Q. Why does a tree cost Rs.300?
A. The cost of a tree includes the following:
* 10% Saplings and Initial planting costs
* 60% Maintenance and watering costs
* 10% Insurance in case a sapling dies due to natural causes
* 10% Website maintenance and other administrative charges
* 10% Tax + Bank.
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