EVOLVE, the brand known for its portfolio of plant-based protein shakes, powders and bars, has partnered with global reforestation non-profit One Tree Planted to find outdoor enthusiasts who are doing their part to protect and preserve the outdoors in their communities. Whether you’re volunteering in a community garden, starting a compost program, or educating your neighbors about the importance of recycling — EVOLVE wants to hear about it! Three entrants will be selected to receive $10,000 each to use toward their community initiative.
To apply, participants must post a video between June 3 and July 1, 2022, no longer than 30 seconds, to Instagram or Twitter describing how they are protecting and preserving the outdoors and what they would do with $10,000 to further those efforts*. All eligible entries will be judged by a panel of qualified judges that may include EVOLVE council ambassador, intersectional environmental activist, eco-communicator and author, Leah Thomas, also known as @GreenGirlLeah. Entries must be captioned with #EvolveOutdoors, #Contest, and must follow and tag @DrinkEvolve to be entered. For every entry, EVOLVE will donate $1 to One Tree Planted, up to $5,000**.
The initiative and partnership supports EVOLVE’s new Plant-Based for the Outdoors commitment and ongoing mission to help protect and provide access to the outdoors. To further that mission, the brand is evolving its packaging to be more plant-based, evolving what “sustainable” can mean for protein by using sustainable peas, and evolving cities by planting trees where they’re needed.
“Being a plant-based protein brand comes with responsibility,” said Anuj Bhasin, VP of Protein and Fitness Brands at PepsiCo. “Everything from EVOLVE’s packaging, to the delicious protein inside, is being evaluated to make sure we’re living up to our goal of helping to protect the outdoors. One Tree Planted is the ideal partner to bring this mission to life in a tangible way. By working together, we’re giving people who share our mission the opportunity to make a bigger impact in their communities by planting trees in urban areas that need them. This is important because planting the right species of trees can have a positive impact in improving air quality, decreasing urban heat and fostering biodiversity.”
“It is critical that we plant trees in urban areas for all of the benefits that trees provide — from urban heat mitigation, to creating breathable air, to fostering a stronger sense of community,” said Tanner Haid, Senior Manager of Urban Forestry at One Tree Planted. “We commend EVOLVE’s investments in planting trees with the communities that need them most. Together, we will make a lasting impact for generations to come.”
As part of the partnership with One Tree Planted, EVOLVE has committed to planting $100K worth of trees in NYC, Chicago and Los Angeles in 2022. To kick off the partnership, EVOLVE hosted a planting event in New York City’s Highbridge Park on May 17, rallying a group together to plant American Chestnut trees along the Harlem river to transform former illegal dumping grounds into a vibrant green space which can help lower urban temperatures.
Future tree planting events are planned for later this year. Multi-park Los Angeles tree planting projects will primarily focus on increasing tree canopy cover in highly urbanized areas. A Chicago tree planting project will be specifically tailored to increasing the diversity of tree canopy, which will help attract different species of animals and insects to the Big Marsh area, also a former dumping ground.
