Gisele Bündchen to Plant 40,000 Trees for Her 40th Birthday: 'Wanted to Celebrate in a Meaningful Way'

"I feel that this is the best way I know to give back to Mother Earth," Gisele Bündchen said

Photo: Tristar Media/Getty

Gisele Bündchen is hoping to give back to the planet for her birthday this year.

On Saturday, the supermodel shared her vision for celebrating her upcoming 40th birthday, which includes planting 40,000 trees in the Amazon rainforest.

"As some of you know, my birthday is coming up on July 20th. And it's not just any birthday! I can't believe I am turning 40!" the mother of two shared on Instagram. "I feel like a whole new chapter of my life is starting, and I wanted to celebrate it in a meaningful way, so I decided to plant 40,000 trees."

In her inspiring post, Bündchen included several photos of herself planting trees from both past and present projects. The model's husband, NFL star Tom Brady, and their two kids, Benjamin Rein, 10, and Vivian Lake, 7½, are also featured in the photos as they help.

Kickstarted with Bündchen’s pledge, her socioenvironmental birthday initiative, Viva a Vida, has raised enough funds for over 200,000 trees and counting to be planted in the Xingu River region of the Amazon rainforest next year.

Bündchen also explained that she has been "planting trees for different projects for years" and believes it is "the best way [she] knows to give back to Mother Earth."

Bündchen originally planned to celebrate her milestone birthday planting trees with her family in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, however, the coronavirus pandemic uprooted their trip, she said.

"Then I had another thought! What if I could come up with a way for others to help me plant trees there?" the star shared. "I've already talked to my family and my friends—and they will all turn their gifts into trees. That way, we can all help give something back to our planet."

Bündchen has long been an advocate for sustainability, recently opening up to Marie Claire about how she teaches her kids about the importance of giving back to the planet.

“As a family, we also each have our reusable water bottles, and the kids understand single-use plastic is really hurting our planet,” Bündchen said of her family’s efforts. “I see them talking with their friends about it and showing them their water bottles in hopes they might join them and use them too.”

Nino Muñoz

She also makes a point to “teach [her] kids the three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle.”

“When we go grocery shopping, we always bring our own bags, and by buying from local farmers we reduce packaging waste,” Bündchen said. “We do our best, but it can be challenging when it comes to living completely green — and that’s okay. I always remind my kids that every choice we make has an impact on our planet and that we always need to try our best; that’s what matters.”

Some of the moments Bündchen loves the most “as a mother,” in fact, are the ones “we get to spend in nature and learn together by doing. I love seeing my kids get excited when they find fresh eggs in our chicken coop or harvest the vegetables from our garden.”