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Billion Trees, National Campaign

Mongolia loses the steppe.
We are planting it back.

76.9% of Mongolian land is affected by desertification. In September 2021, President Khurelsukh addressed the UN General Assembly with a national pledge: one billion trees by 2030. Rara Avis plants, monitors, and grows those trees at Big Sky Lodge through our Roots and Retreats initiative. Every guest adds one more.

412
Trees planted at Big Sky Lodge
Goal 2030, 2,000 trees
THE CRISIS

Mongolia is losing the steppe, faster than anywhere on earth.

76.9% of Mongolian land is classified as degraded or desertified by the national environment agency. A generation ago the figure sat under 40%. The trajectory is vertical.

Reforestation is the single most cost-effective response. Mongolia's President pledged one billion trees to the United Nations by 2030. Every tree we plant counts toward that pledge.

We are not planting trees for decoration. We are planting them because the steppe cannot hold itself any more.
Minister of Environment, Ulaanbaatar, 2024
76.9%
of Mongolian land degraded or desertified, per the national environment agency
1,244
lakes and rivers dried up since 1980 across the Great Lakes Depression
-28%
national forest cover since 1990. Fire, logging, overgrazing, climate stress
1B
trees by 2030, pledged by President Khurelsukh at the UN, September 2021
FROM YOUR CLICK TO A TREE IN THE GROUND

Four steps. Fully documented.

A physical tree in the ground, a certificate in your hand, GPS coordinates you can visit. No offsets, no vouchers, no third-party brokers. No greenwashing.

01
Sponsor your tree
Pick a tier, name your tree or grove, add a gift recipient if it is a present. Orders received before April 15 plant in May; before September 15 plant in October.
02
Rangers plant it
Our on-site team and certified forestry partners plant at Big Sky Lodge in Gorkhi-Terelj National Park. Siberian Pine, Siberian Elm, or Yellow Acacia, chosen by soil and elevation.
03
GPS registered
Each tree is geo-tagged and registered with the Tov Province forestry department, counting toward the official Billion Trees programme. Photographed on planting day.
04
Certificate delivered
Within five business days you receive your named certificate, the GPS coordinates, and the planting photograph. Visit Big Sky Lodge any time and a ranger will take you to your tree.
THE RARA AVIS FOREST

Growing in Terelj since 2022.

One place, one project, one ranger team. The Rara Avis Forest sits at 1,645 metres inside Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, an hour east of Ulaanbaatar. Every tree sponsored on this page is planted here and monitored by the same team.

Location
Gorkhi-Terelj NP
Elevation
1,645 m
Grove area
18.6 hectares
Planting since
May 2022
Ranger monitoring
Year-round
412
TREES PLANTED
Every one named, GPS logged, and visitable. Goal by 2030 is 2,000.
94%
SURVIVAL RATE
Verified at 24 months. Higher than the national reforestation average of 60%.
3
NATIVE SPECIES
Siberian Pine, Siberian Elm, Yellow Acacia. All hardy, all native, all selected by our forestry partners.
47.98
GPS COORDINATES
Degrees North, 107.45 East. Visit any time with a ranger and we will take you to your tree.
PLANT YOUR TREE

Choose your grove.

Every tier plants physical seedlings at Big Sky Lodge, Arkhangai. GPS coordinates, certificate, and 24-month monitoring come standard. The larger the grove, the deeper the connection.

Sapling
1 tree
$25 USD
one-time contribution
+Digital certificate with GPS
+Species assignment
+Planting-window update
+24-month survival tracking
Family Forest
15 trees
$250 USD
dedicated sub-grove
+Everything in Grove
+Named sub-grove in family name
+Personalised plaque on site
+Annual photo report
+Guided grove visit for up to 6
Legacy
50 trees
$750 USD
private corporate-level grove
+Everything in Family Forest
+Private named grove + hardwood marker
+Framed master certificate
+Full impact report, SDG-aligned
+Private grove opening ceremony
All contributions go directly to nursery, planting, and 24-month monitoring. Payment via Stripe or bank transfer. Corporate invoicing available on request.
WHAT YOU RECEIVE

A tree, a certificate, and the coordinates to find it.

Every sponsor receives a printed certificate with the recipient's name, planting date, GPS coordinates, and species. The physical document is posted after the tree is in the ground, not before. Digital copies are sent the same week.

01
Named certificate
Printed on archival paper with Mongolian border motif and Rara Avis seal.
02
GPS coordinates
The exact point where your tree stands, accurate to within three metres.
03
Species identification
Siberian Pine, Siberian Elm, or Yellow Acacia, assigned by soil and elevation.
04
Survival update
Geo-tagged photo at month 12 and month 24 confirming the tree is alive.
05
Visit invitation
Any guest staying at Big Sky Lodge can find their tree with a ranger.
Certificate of Planting
BIG SKY LODGE . ARKHANGAI . MONGOLIA
THIS CERTIFIES THAT
[ your name ]
has planted a living tree in Mongolia's national reforestation programme, aligned with the Billion Trees pledge to the United Nations.
COORDINATES
47.98 N 107.45 E
SPECIES
Siberian Pine
ALTITUDE
1,645 m
PLANTED
May 2026
RA
Rara Avis . Official Seal
THE GROVE . BIG SKY LODGE

A real place with real boundaries.

Every tree in the programme is planted in one place: the Rara Avis Forest at Big Sky Lodge in Arkhangai Province, 47.98 degrees north, 107.45 degrees east. Rangers monitor the grove year-round and submit planting records to Mongolia's Ministry of Environment.

Location
Arkhangai, Mongolia
Elevation
1,645 m
Grove area
18.6 hectares
Planting since
May 2022
Ranger monitoring
Year-round
Survival verified
94% at 24 months
SPECIES MIX IN THE GROVE
Siberian Pine
45%
Siberian Elm
35%
Yellow Acacia
20%
Species are selected by soil depth, elevation, and windward exposure on the advice of forestry engineers at the National University of Mongolia.
LIVE GROVE COORDINATES
47.9834 N . 107.4521 E
visit with any ranger during your stay
CORPORATE PROGRAM

Plant a forest for your team.

For companies, conferences, and private groups who want to leave Mongolia with more than photographs. We dedicate a named grove at Big Sky Lodge in your organisation's name, plant a tree for every attendee, and deliver individual certificates with GPS coordinates for each one.

Documentation is aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goal 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), so your ESG team can file it without rewriting a single line. Trees are planted and monitored on the same schedule as the public program. No offset vouchers, no resale, no third-party brokering.

i.
Named grove
A dedicated section of the Rara Avis Forest registered under your company or event name.
ii.
Individual certificates
Every participant receives their own tree certificate with coordinates, species, and planting date.
iii.
Physical grove marker
A carved hardwood plaque installed on site, visible to any guest staying at Big Sky Lodge.
iv.
ESG-ready documentation
SDG-aligned impact report with methodology, survival data, and audit-quality records.
For corporate programs: trees@raraavistravel.com
FREQUENTLY ASKED

Everything you need to know.

A fair question deserves a complete answer. Here are the ones guests, partners, and ESG teams ask us most often.

Is my tree actually planted, or is this an offset scheme?
Every tree is a physical seedling planted by our ranger team at Big Sky Lodge, in Arkhangai Province, at 47.98 degrees north, 107.45 degrees east. It is not a carbon offset, not a voucher, and not a third-party credit. You receive GPS coordinates for the specific tree you sponsored.
How does this connect to the President's Billion Trees campaign?
Mongolia's national pledge, announced in 2021, is to plant one billion trees by 2030 to combat desertification. Our forest is a private contribution to that national target. Our planting records are submitted to the Ministry of Environment as part of annual reforestation reporting.
When exactly are the trees planted?
Mongolia has two viable planting windows: late April to early June, and early September to mid-October. Trees sponsored outside those windows are held in our nursery and planted in the next open window. Certificates reflect the actual planting date, not the sponsorship date.
What is the survival rate, and how do you verify it?
Our current verified survival rate is 94 percent at the 24-month mark, measured by physical count with geo-tagged photos. The Mongolian steppe average sits closer to 60 percent. Trees that fail are replaced at our cost in the following season, and the original certificate stays tied to the replacement.
Can I visit the tree I sponsored?
Yes. Any guest staying at Big Sky Lodge can visit the grove with a ranger, find their tree using the GPS coordinates on their certificate, and take their own photo. Guests on private journeys can request a grove visit as part of their itinerary at no additional cost.
What species do you plant, and why these three?
Siberian Pine for long-term carbon storage and wildlife habitat, Siberian Elm for drought resilience and fast canopy, and Yellow Acacia for soil nitrogen fixation and erosion control. All three are native to Arkhangai and selected on the advice of forestry engineers at the National University of Mongolia.
Can I gift a tree to someone else?
Yes. During checkout you can enter a recipient's name and email. We send them a personalised digital certificate with your message, and the physical certificate is mailed to the address of your choice once the tree is in the ground.
Do you offer corporate or conference volumes?
Yes. For any order above 100 trees we dedicate a named grove, install a physical marker on site, and deliver a single audit-quality report alongside individual certificates. Contact trees@raraavistravel.com for a quote, lead time, and SDG documentation.
PLANT YOUR TREE

The steppe is waiting. Add your tree.

Every tree sponsored today joins the next planting window at Big Sky Lodge, receives its own GPS coordinates, and enters the 24-month monitoring program. You can sponsor a single tree, gift one in another person's name, or fund an entire grove for your team.

412 trees planted . 94% survival . 2,000 tree goal by end of 2026 . Open planting window: May and September