In October and November, together with One Tree Planted, we planted over 81,000 hazelnut trees on the mountain slopes of Bhutan—a project that reforest degraded land, sequesters CO₂, and provides a long-term livelihood for over 8,000 smallholder families. And that’s exactly where we’re continuing our efforts: Together with our friends at QoQa and the Pro Lutra Foundation, we’re supporting the same tree-planting project in Bhutan with a limited-edition T-shirt. For every TreeShirt sold, we plant a hazelnut tree, and an additional 5 CHF goes toward protecting Swiss otters.
Why we continue to plant trees in Bhutan
Bhutan is one of the few countries in the world that defines happiness—rather than economic growth—as the ultimate goal of its development; it is also the only country that has officially committed to achieving permanent climate neutrality. Yet even there, the effects of climate change are being felt: glaciers are melting, extreme weather events are on the rise, and harvests are becoming increasingly uncertain.
Our local project partner specializes in growing hazelnut trees on fallow, degraded mountain slopes. These trees are much more than just an ecological measure:
- They stabilize the soil and prevent erosion
- They sequester CO₂ and increase biodiversity
- With a productive lifespan of up to 50 years per Tree , they provide Tree long-term source of income for smallholder families
- Women benefit particularly from the new, low-barrier income opportunities
- Our partner guarantees the purchase of the harvest—an important safeguard against market risks
Over the next few years, more than 620,000 additional trees are set to be planted. Through our October/November campaign, we have already contributed 81,070 trees, and the QoQa Drop will now add even more trees to this very project.
Three Swiss brands, one shared shirt
What makes this initiative special: We’re not continuing the project on our own, but together with two strong Swiss partners.
- QoQa is the Swiss community platform with its distinctive otter mascot. And it is precisely this otter that is the reason we are embarking on this collaboration together.
- Pro Lutra is a Swiss foundation that has been working for years to protect otters, a species that was once hunted to extinction but is now slowly making a comeback.
- NIKIN has been planting a Tree for every product sold since 2016. #treebytree.
The result: a limited-edition T-shirt in black and off-white (XS–XXL), made from 100% organic cotton, manufactured in Portugal, and GOTS-certified. It features the three logos— NIKIN QoQa × Pro Lutra—on the chest.
Double Impact: a Tree Bhutan + 5 CHF for bat conservation
Every shirt sold has a twofold impact:
- 1 hazelnut tree in Bhutan – planted as part of our ongoing project with One Tree Planted
- 5 CHF to Pro Lutra – to protect Swiss otters
This is how we combine global reforestation with local species conservation—both driven by our convictions, both effective in the long term.
The otter – a secret returnee to our bodies of water
For a long time, the otter was considered extinct in Switzerland. Only in recent years has this fascinating animal begun to return to our rivers and lakes. But its comeback is fragile—and one of the greatest threats is not a lack of water or disease, but something far more mundane: our roads.
Pro Lutra is tackling the problem head-on: The foundation is installing wildlife cameras at particularly dangerous locations to document the otters’ movements. This visual evidence is crucial—it is the only way to obtain permits from the authorities for safe
Create bridge crossings and riverbank passages. This way, the otters can stay where they belong: close to the water, safe and sound.
With every shirt you buy, you’re supporting this very work—the camera traps, the data collection, and ultimately the structural modifications that save otters’ lives.
Achieving more together
A collaboration between three Swiss companies, all of which are driven by a shared commitment. A shirt that actively supports local wildlife conservation. And an additional hazelnut tree in Bhutan, which promotes greater biodiversity, healthier soil, and new sources of livelihood. That’s the idea behind this initiative—and that’s exactly why we’re grateful you’re on board.
The shirt will be available in limited quantities exclusively through the QoQa platform. If you want one, you’d better act fast—the otters and trees are counting on you.
You can find out more about all our tree-planting projects and the impact of your support on our TreeTracker page. And you can learn more about Pro Lutra’s work at prolutra.ch.
