1 Heart 1 Tree, a unique project that plans to beam virtual trees onto the Eiffel Tower during the UN climate change conference in Paris while generating funds to plant real ones across 5 Continents, has moved into phase two after a first round of fund raising via the crowd-sourcing site Kickstarter.
The project, the brainchild of Paris-based artist Naziha Mestaoui, is now developing a unique smart phone App that can detect a person’s heartbeat as they choose their tree. It means that each virtual tree grown on the tower, using real-time, 3-D mapping in order to generate a virtual forest nightly, will be personal to each supporter.
Ms Mestaoui, whose project has been given official support by the French Presidency of COP21; the City of Paris; the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and UNESCO, said she believed the idea had captured many hearts and minds:
It was wonderful to see such amazing actors and environmentalists like Ed Norton celebrities like the cartoon figure Elyx and ordinary citizens using social media to say how much they like and back the project. I am sure with so many existing supporters and hopefully new ones coming on board soon we can achieve our next goal and move to finalization of 1 Heart 1 Tree.
She said with less than six months to go to the Paris conference in December she was looking for the additional funds to realize the full impact of the monumental technological artwork and catalyze greater climate action via tree planting. "1 Heart 1 Tree aims at connecting real life with life through technology, showing that we can all inspire the future while showing that our technologies can help reconnect us with nature. Everyone can feel responsible and act for the next generations!," she said.
Tree Planting Projects Already Secured
The next phase of funding is to raise the finance for the equipment needed to project the trees onto the Eiffel Tower; the production team and the security linked with the installation.
The plan is to project the trees onto the Eiffel Tower towards the end of November when COP21 opens and during the first week in December. Tree planting projects have already been secured with partners in countries ranging from Brazil and Peru to Haiti and Senegal.