“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” —The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, 1971

Dr. Seuss’s character the Lorax spoke for the trees, pleading with the money-hungry Once-ler to halt his deforestation practices and save the forest creatures’ habitat. In the end, the Once-ler was ashamed of the environmental destruction he wrought and gave the last Truffula Tree seed to the narrator to plant and nurture with hopes for a better future.

Half a century later, as rapid deforestation remains a critical problem, accelerating both climate and humanitarian crises around the globe, the chorus of voices speaking for the trees is thankfully growing louder, notably among today’s most visionary creatives across the fields of architecture, art, fashion, and design. Each in their own way, these “tree huggers” are drawing attention to ways that creative practices can and should support tree conservation, championing new production methods, highly sustainable materials, and more thoughtful built environments that coexist harmoniously with natural ecosystems.

On June 17th, Design Miami in collaboration with Tony’s Chocolonely will host a live webinar with architect Stefano Boeri, artist-designer Es Devlin, professor Maria Chiara Pastore, and editor Sujata Burman to discuss their efforts to fight deforestation and ways that design can be an agent of change for a better future.

This talk was inspired by the FOREST Act of 2021, legislation pending in the US Congress aimed at stemming the tide of illegal deforestation around the world. If passed, this new law would ban the import of products that originate in deforested lands—including cocoa from Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. Design Miami and Tony’s Chocolonely urge voters in the US to contact their representatives and demand the passage of the FOREST Act.

Find your senators here.

Find your congressperson here.

We all have a role to play in saving the planet. ◆

You're invited! Register to watch here!

June 17, 2022 11:00am EST

Tree Huggers: Design as an Agent of Change

Presented by Tony's Chocolonely

Featuring Stefano Boeri, Es Devlin, and Maria Chiara Pastore, moderated by Sujata Burman