Planting 50,000+ trees across Sri Lanka every year requires much more than the planting itself. Before saplings reach the ground, they need to be raised or sourced, suitable locations need to be identified, planting sites need to be prepared, and young trees need continued care after planting.
At Sumi Foundation, our commitment to planting over 50,000 trees each year brings all of these efforts together to create lasting environmental impact.
Where Planting 50,000+ Trees Begins
For many of the trees we plant, the process begins in our own nursery in Sri Lanka.
We raise seeds into young saplings until they are ready for planting. Sumi Foundation currently works with four kinds of trees: Beech, Tamarind, Teak, and Neem. Our nursery provides many of the saplings used in our work, but reaching a commitment as large as 50,000+ trees also means having additional trees available when needed. That is why we also source ready-to-plant saplings from other nurseries. Before planting can begin, enough young trees need to be ready for the next stage.
Finding the Right Place to Plant
Once the saplings are ready, the next step is deciding where they will go. Much of Sumi Foundation’s work supports reforestation, while trees are also planted near schools, homes, within local communities, and in other suitable areas across Sri Lanka.
Different locations may require different levels of planning and preparation. Some sites are easier to access, while others can take more work before planting begins. In certain locations, the process may also involve coordination with organizations such as the Road Development Authority (RDA).
Choosing a planting site is about more than finding an open piece of land. The location should give the tree enough space to take root and continue growing.
Preparing the Ground
Before a sapling can be planted, the ground needs to be prepared. For one tree, preparing a planting hole may seem like a small task. When hundreds or thousands of trees are involved, that preparation becomes a much larger part of the work. Where site conditions allow, our team uses powered drilling equipment to prepare planting holes rather than relying only on digging each one by hand. This allows larger planting areas to be prepared more efficiently before the saplings are put into place. Once the site is ready, each tree can be planted into the prepared ground.
Caring for Trees After Planting
Planting is an important step, but the work does not end there. A newly planted tree needs time to adjust to its surroundings and for its roots to spread into the soil around it. Sumi Foundation continues watering and caring for young trees for as long as needed during this early stage of growth. This is an important part of our 50,000+ commitment. The goal is not only to plant trees, but also to care for them after planting and support their long-term growth.
Reaching Harder-to-Access Areas
Not every suitable area for reforestation can be reached easily on foot. In harder-to-access areas, Sumi Foundation also uses drones to carry and release seeds from above. This helps extend reforestation work into locations that may be difficult or time-consuming for a ground team to cover directly.
Drone-assisted reforestation does not replace the work being done on the ground. Instead, it provides another way to reach suitable areas. Ground planting allows individual saplings to be placed into prepared locations, while drones can help distribute seeds over land where access is more difficult.
Bringing Trees into Communities
Sumi Foundation also provides trees and saplings to schools and local communities. This allows others to plant and care for trees in their own surroundings and extends the work beyond the locations where our team is planting directly. A tree planted at a school, near a home, or within a community can become part of the place around it as it grows. It also gives more people the chance to take part in caring for the environment where they live, learn, and spend time.
What 50,000+ Means
50,000+ may look like one number, but behind it are thousands of individual trees and many different steps, from planting to ongoing care as they grow and thrive.
Seeds need time to grow. Saplings need to be ready. Locations need to be selected. The ground has to be prepared. Trees need to be planted and cared for. Some areas may require a different approach, while schools and communities can help extend the work further.
All of these efforts contribute to the same commitment, and 50,000+ trees is only the beginning. As Sumi Foundation’s environmental initiatives continue to grow, we hope to increase the number of trees we plant each year, creating an even greater impact across Sri Lanka.
Author: Rabia Amjad
