NYC Vegan Food and Wine Bar Helps to Plant Hundreds of Trees in Peru

New York City-based food and natural wine bar Le Botaniste recently launched a campaign to help plant trees in Peru to combat deforestation. The vegan establishment teamed up with GoForest to plant 156 trees in northwest Peru, a region that has been heavily affected by deforestation, causing a number of negative environmental impacts. The campaign hopes to draw attention to the severe deforestation in this area and help customers make more sustainable choices.

The campaign launch coincided with the International Day of Forests on March 21st, marking the beginning of Le Botaniste's partnership with GoForest to help restore Peru's biodiversity. The initiative also hopes to assist local Peruvian communities, where the current poverty rate is greater than 50 percent.

“We [gave] our customers the opportunity to ‘add’ a tree to their 100-percent plant-based and organic orders, as we look for creative ways to help our customers eat even more sustainably and inspire [them to go] beyond carbon neutrality,” Le Botaniste Brand and Sustainability Manager Alizee Wyckmans told Vegnews.

The wine bar hosted the special donation between March 15 and 21, providing patrons the opportunity to support the effort and plant their own tree in the Le Botaniste forest. The business also donated a tree on behalf of its 55 employees while also matching guest donations.

With four open locations in NYC and three in Belgium, Le Botaniste gives customers a taste of the growing variety in the natural wine industry. The company features a range of delicious vegan wines paired with unique, fresh plant-based fare. The restaurant aims to create a menu that is both sustainable for the planet as well as healthy for the customer. In the past, the restaurant collaborated with CO2logic to become the first organic, plant-based carbon-neutral-certified restaurant in NYC.

GoForest is a partner organization of CO2logic, dedicated to planting trees worldwide in the hopes to assist in the reforestation of damaged ecosystems. The company that partnered with the Le Botaniste hosts projects across the globe, creating jobs and planting trees with help from international communities.

The nutrients in a pumpkin seed are actually in the white shell. Bake them in a 300 degree oven with light seasoning or just salt for a minimum of 45 minutes and snack as you carve away. 1 ounce equal Protein - 9.2g Calories - 146 Carbs - 3.8g Calcium - 12mg

Hemp seeds and marijuana come from the same plant, Cannabis sativa. The difference is that they are extracted from different parts of the plant (pot is the leaves, hemp is the seed). Hemp seeds also have .3% traces of THC, the euphoria-producing ingredient in pot, whereas marijuana contains anywhere from .4% and up depending on the strain. 1 ounce equals Protein - 6.3 g Calories - 110.7 Carbs - 1.7 g Calcium - 1.1%

Sunflower seeds come from the middle of the flower head. The type of sunflower seed is based on what sunflower hybrid it comes from. The two types fall under the category oilseed or non-oilseed type. 2 tablespoons equal Protein - 5.4g Calories - 163 Carbs - 6.7g Calcium - 19.6mg

Flax seeds are better digested if they are ground up. Whole seeds are harder to digest because of their shells. Quick tip: If you buy whole seeds, use a coffee grinder to make your own ground flax seeds and store in an airtight container for freshness. 1 ounce equals Protein - 5.1g Calories - 150 Carbs - 8.1 g Calcium - 71.4mg

Sesame seeds can be used as a garnish or in the base of a smooth tahini sauce. Combine 2 cups of sesame seeds with a couple of tablespoons of avocado in a food processor and the product is a tahini to use on a salad or veggies. 1 ounce equals Protein - 4.7g Calories - 158 Carbs - 7.2g Calcium - 277mg

Because they can be used as an egg replacement, chia seeds make vegan baking easy. Combine one tablespoon of chia seeds with two to three tablespoons of water to make a single egg replacement for your next cake or brownies. 1 ounce equals Protein - 4.4g Calories - 137 Carbs - 12.3g Calcium - 177mg