Meet Georgette Kilgore | Content Director, Researcher and Forest Enthusiast

We had the good fortune of connecting with Georgette Kilgore and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Georgette, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
8 Billion Trees was founded with the belief that by working together, without bureaucratic constraints that are all too often hindrances, people around the world can effectively impact climate change in a positive way by reforesting areas around the globe that have been destroyed.

The lack of rainforests (and other forest land) has significantly impacted the planet’s ability to process carbon emissions. These changes have also impacted the weather cycles, but by rebuilding these areas using only native plants and trees, we can help restore the damage in the long term.

By offsetting everyday activities and purchases, anyone can become carbon neutral, erasing their carbon footprint.

And, we do it as a long term solution. We collect and plant native species which not only helps restore these vital areas, but also provides the environment needed for many endangered animals, in order to help the regions flourish and reduce the danger of extinction. We also partner with other tree planting organizations to increase the number of trees that are planted and protected from eventual “harvest.”

By making the offset process easy, individuals and businesses can make real changes that will have an immediate and long term benefit for the entire world.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I love the way 8 Billion Trees provides a unique and simple way for people to not only learn the carbon footprint of an activity or an item, but also erase it.

But, getting to the position where our calculators were accurate, like many worthwhile things, was not always easy. It took years of study and dedication as well as a lot of trial and error.

Yet, as we continue to grow, we’ve learned to adapt and incorporate new research as it appears. And as more and more people hear about what we’re doing (and why), we’re seeing a real difference being made in forest recovery, which will provide long term help to the planet.

Moreover, the content we create is designed to inform readers about the many other ways they can have an impact. Recently, we explored state solar incentives and outlined the information that can be used to pay for green energy options, such as home solar panels.

By placing solar panels on existing structures, there’s no additional negative impact to the ecology in an area, and the clean energy provided can not only reduce emissions, it’s able to reduce costs. California, in particular, has a robust incentive program for residents, and many other states are joining.

This type of innovation is a great way to enhance the impact reforestation will have in the coming decades.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
As someone who is fortunate to live near a protected national forest, when friends come to town, I love to show them some of my favorite, off-the-beaten-path, destinations both in, and around the Smoky Mountains. There are incredible views and awesome nature to enjoy if you want to get away from traffic and bask in the peace of a mountain waterfall or hike.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family’s support has made it possible for me to follow my dreams, and without them, my successes couldn’t have happened.

Website: 8billiontrees.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/8billiontrees.com

Facebook: https://facebook.com/8billiontrees

Other: https://shop.8billiontrees.com/collections/carbon-offsets

Image Credits
No credits needed, we own all of these images.