The meiLBOX 5+1 Project

Missing the art of letter-writing and wondering how to contribute to climate change mitigation? Then please join The meiLBOX 5+1 Project!

All it takes is writing 5 letters+planting 1 tree! (Image courtesy of Classroomclipart.com)

This Project aims to continue/revive the art of letter-writing and  encourage the planting of trees once a year (e.g., on our birthdays). This is also our way of supporting the UN Declaration of 2011 as International Year of Forests.

Here are the steps that you need to do to join The meiLBOX 5+1 Project:

1. Write and send a handwritten letter by postage to at least five of your friends/family members (the more, the merrier!). The letter should be a real letter, with at least 2 paragraphs in it. Say anything you want–thank your friend for his friendship, or simply update him on what is happening in your life right now. Sending a birthday note/card is good, too. You can include the following paragraph as a part of your letter:

I am writing this letter as part of The meiLBOX 5+1 Project. This Project aims to continue/revive the art of letter-writing and  encourage the planting of trees once a year (e.g., on our birthdays). When you receive this letter, you are requested to write a similar letter to at least five of your friends (more is better!) and plant a tree within the year upon its receipt (better if you can plant a tree on your birthday or every year thereafter). You can then send me/the Project details of your participation including your complete name, school/work information, and other information. Include photos of yourself when you planted the tree as well as when you went to the post office to mail your letters (an alternative is a picture of the stamped letters that you are about to drop in the mailbox). You can send these information to meilbox5plus1.project@asyanna.com with cc to the.meilbox.project@gmail.com so Mei (the Project Founder) can mention you and your participation in her site at http://meivelas.wordpress.com.

Don't forget to put your name on your tree so you/your children (and even grandchildren) can always visit it! Above is a sample tree tag but you can design your own. Be creative! (Big thanks to Craftjuice.com for the template I have used in the image.)

2. After sending the letters to your friends, I am requesting you to plant a tree within the year (better if you can plant a tree on your birthday or every year thereafter).

3. You can then send me the details of your participation including your complete name, school/work information, and other information. Include photos of yourself when you planted the tree as well as when you went to the post office to mail your five letters (an alternative is a picture of the stamped letters that you are about to drop in the mailbox/postbox). Note: Send one email per 5 letters sent+1 tree planted. You can send me a 2nd email once you have finished sending the 6th to 10th letters+planted the 2nd tree (and so on and so forth).

4. I will then blog about you and your participation here. :) You can visit the posts about this Project under the category, “The meiLBOX 5+1 Project.” I will also post an article/s about trees so I can help you choose which species are more suitable for urban and rural environments. For tips on how to ensure your tree will grow beautifully up to its old age, you can visit this post.

The meiLBOX 5+1 Project believes that one tree can make a big difference. (Image c/o MySpace and/or J. Wells)

Easy, isn’t it? So, what are you waiting for? Grab a pen and paper and start writing to your family members and best friends! You will not only make them happy but you will also do something nice for the environment–which eventually benefits every one on this earth for many generations to come.

P.s. Who knows, we might be able to get a sponsor so we can raffle off some rewards for the lucky participants. :) Anything is possible but even without the promise of rewards, I am pretty sure that you will still do this for the sheer fun of it and the bigger reward of having a cleaner and greener environment. God bless us all!

The meiLBOX 5+1 Project supports the UN Declaration of 2011 as International Year of Forests and the UNEP Billion Tree Campaign.