When the trees turn into a forest
Arbor Day, April 5, is a day to plant, care for, and celebrate trees and nature.
How long does it take for a tree planted today to become a forest?
The time it takes for a tree to reach full growth and become a mature tree is 20 to 50 years on average,
It takes 50 to 100 years for these trees to form a complete forest. 50 to 100 years or moreto form a complete forest.
So as important as planting new trees, it's just as important to protect the forests around us protecting the forests around usaround us.
March, the forest burned everywhere
Then, on March 21, wildfires broke out in 11 areas of the Gyeongbuk region.
In less than two weeks, many trees were reduced to ashes.
The wildfires have burned about 48,000 ha (hectares) of forest, which is 80% of the area of Seoul and 160 times the size of Yeouido.
There have been 75 casualties and countless displaced people.
Why Wadizopened up wildfire relief funding
Forests burned, homes lost, lives destroyed.
Wadiz "What can we do now?" Wadiz pondered.
Wadizis a place for supporters and makers to make a difference together.
Some people open a funding to raise money to build a new product, Others fund to help a cause that needs it most.
That's why Wadizwanted to rally the troops in the face of a national disaster.
Figuring out where to go for the support you need, gathering input from supporters to find the best way forward.
Because that's what Wadizdoes best.
📍 2019 - WadizFirst Wildfire Relief Funding: Kangwon Wildfires
Wadizhas been helping wildfire prevention, recovery, and emergency relieffor wildfire prevention, disaster recovery, and emergency relief.
In April 2019, a massive wildfire in Gangwon Province burned an area the size of 742 soccer fields in just one day, leaving thousands displaced.
In the face of sudden disaster, Wadizsupporters moved faster than anyone else.
The day after the wildfires, we immediately opened an emergency relief fund and raised $20 million in just one week.
But there was something more important than fundraising.
If the funds raised are really where it's needed, how it's needed mostughand in the way it was most needed.
Wadizformed a relief funding TF teamand and actively listened to supporters to find the best way to help.
At the same time, we surveyed our supporters.
Both regions were hit hard, but the scale of the damage was different, so we gathered opinions on how to allocate donations.
As a result, the most supporters voted for the option "Give to whichever region needs it most",
We decided to split the funding equally between the two regions.
Considering the temporary living conditions of the victims of Toseong-myeon Office in Goseong-gun and Okgye-myeon Office in Gangneung-si
WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE LIVING BOXES, TVS, MICROWAVES, CHESTS OF DRAWERS, AND MORE ✅ WE WERE ABLE TO DELIVER NOT ONLY GOODS, BUT ALSO MESSAGES OF SUPPORT FROM 431 SUPPORTERS.
The way we decided who to support and what to do with our supporters and visited the affected areas was a way to deliver help where it was needed, This was a meaningful relief project that onlyWadizcould do.
📍2022 - " Wadizwill donate just by signing the support": Uljin-Samcheok wildfires
In 2022, the longest wildfire on record, lasting a whopping 213 hours,engulfed Uljin and Samcheok .
More than 6,000residents were displaced, and countless livestock and pets were alsoat risk as they lost their owners, wandered through wildfires, or were trapped in cages or homes.
Once again,Wadizhas moved to ensure that real support reaches where it's needed most.
We've opened a fund to donate to three relief organizations: World Vision, which provides relief kits for survivors; WeAct, which helps rescue and treat dogs affected by wildfires; and Reverse, an animal rescue organization.
We've also made it easy for anyone to lend a hand by simply signing the petition. Wadizdonate 2,022 won for each signature accountfor each signature.
(Source: World Vision, WeAct Instagram)
We received ✅ 309 supporters and ✅ 137 supportive signatures, which helped the neighbors and animals get back to their lives.
📍 March 2025 - Emergency Relief Funding Strikes Again: Current Account Wildfires
It was a wildfire relief fundraiser that we never wanted to do again.
However, in March 2025, another large wildfire broke out in the Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, and Jeolla regions.
It was about 2.8 times the size of the Uljin-Samcheok wildfires in 2022, which caused more than KRW 900 billion in damage.
More than 5,000buildings, including homes and agricultural facilities, were burned and more than 30,000 people were evacuated.
Eleven nationally designated and 19 provincially designated national heritagesites, including Uiseong-gun's thousand-year old Gowonsa Temple, were reduced to ashes.
Currently, Jubbul has been extinguished, but more than 3,000 people are still living in temporary facilities.
And once again, Wadizis working with supporters to raise money for wildfire recovery.
The fundraiser will run until April 11, and we will: ✅ send donations through the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association in the name of our "supporters" (not Wadiz); and ✅ share the progress of the fundraiser in an update when it ends.
Never open relief funding again
Wadizis a platform built to change the world for the better.
The change doesn't stop with opening and funding new projects.
It's all about gathering strength when and where it's really needed.
The 2019 wildfires in Gangwon Province, the 2022 Uljin and Samcheok wildfires, and the 2025 Gyeongsangbuk-do wildfires. That's whyWadizhas been funding relief.
We hope this round of funding for the Gyeongsangbuk-do wildfires will provide a small measure of hope for those affected to get back on their feet.
We also fervently hope that no more wildfires will cause us to lose our forests and our homes.
