Marie in her vegetable garden.

Marie has been our French Regional Coordinator since the start of the Global Tree Initiative (GTI).

Marie tells us that, even though she was brought up in Paris, she would spend a lot of time in a countryside house her parents owned. This house was in a small village surrounded by splendid forests. This is where she would ride her bike.

Not only did Marie have direct contact with nature through the forest, but she was also raised by a family who loved spending time outdoors. Marie says her “parents were experts in planting trees, vegetables, and flowers.” As she was happy to share their garden work, she was able to learn a lot.

When she was older, Marie met some inspiring teachers: the Dalai Lama, Lama Yeshe, and Lama Zopa.This led her to develop an interest in learning about Buddhism. Since 1982, Marie has been an active volunteer at Vajrayogini Institute.

Marie happily shares that she has two children – Benjamin and Anaïs. They love to help Marie around the garden and with planting trees. How wonderful!

When we asked Marie why she joined the Global Tree Initiative (GTI), we received an amazing response from her: “When Jacie spoke to me about the GTI, I really felt the opportunity to repay the kindness of Ösel by trying to make his project successful. My family and I are very sensitive to climate change and have always tried to preserve Mother Earth. Also, planting trees is a good way to fight against global warming.”

Finally, Marie shares with us that “in this troubled age, instead of feeling useless or sad, we can act as a community. That gives us joy! Each time I meet people, I speak about the GTI, about planting trees and bushes. In that way, it is always a nice, positive, and constructive conversation.”

Thank you so much for your dedication towards GTI, and towards our beautiful planet, Marie. What an inspiration!

Marie and her son, Benjamin.