TREE PEOPLE IS A NEW AND DIFFERENT WAY FOR NEW ZEALANDERS TO DO THEIR BIT FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT.

Genesis Energy projects like ElectroCity and Schoolgen have been a big hit with New Zealand teachers, so we've gone one step further: we've created an online forest that can have a big impact on the real world.

Tree People reveals simple ways that people can reduce their carbon footprints, and therefore help New Zealand's precious ecosystem.

The website is tailored towards children, although it is open to all. Children can adopt virtual trees and make pledges to do small things to fight climate change. Their trees grow according to several factors — including carbon savings, the number of times they visit their tree, and the number of friends and sponsors they have.

It's both educational and fun. And it only takes a moment to get involved.

How to get your class started if children have their own email addresses

1. Register yourself by clicking Join!.

2. Ask your students to register as Tree People too, using their own email addresses.

3. Once all the students have registered, log back in. Hit the Group tab to create a Group for your class and invite your children to join it.

4. Get growing: the more your children visit their trees and the more pledges they make, the more their trees will grow.

5. Get your children to search for their friends online and make them Tree People Friends. If they get family members to sponsor their pledges, their trees will grow faster still!

What if your children don't have their own email addresses?

They can still take part and enjoy the online world of the Tree People. It is ok to use the same email address for each student. If your class has an email use this for each student.

Are you ready?

After just 2 months, over 15,000 people have adopted a tree on Tree People. If you haven't already signed up, join now!