A web map connected to a tree shop with Etifor
CLIENT
Etifor s.r.l.
PROJECT
WOWnature web map linked to tree shop
LOCATION
Italy
SOLUTIONS
Custom solution • Integration
THE CLIENT
Etifor and WOWnature
Etifor s.r.l. is a spin-off of the University of Padua. The organization provides consulting services that help companies, public institutions, and other actors understand and value the benefits that nature provides. WOWnature is an initiative by Etifor that allows individuals and businesses to support tree planting and carbon footprint compensation through reforestation projects. Through the platform, users can select from different project areas and contribute to tree planting in a more direct and accessible way.
For this initiative, OpenForests created custom web maps that show the reforestation locations and connect them to the WOWnature tree shop.
THE CHALLENGE
Helping people see where their support goes
Tree planting platforms often face a simple but important communication challenge: people want to know where their contribution goes.
A tree shop can make it easy to buy or sponsor trees, but the transaction alone does not always show the landscape behind the action. Supporters may still wonder:
→ Where will the trees be planted?
→ What does the project area look like?
→ Which locations can I support?
→ How is my contribution connected to a real place?
→ How can a tree shop feel more transparent and less abstract?
For WOWnature, the challenge was to connect the online donation or purchase experience with the physical landscapes where reforestation was taking place. The goal was not only to sell trees online. It was to help people understand the places behind the trees.
OUR APPROACH
Building a map layer for the tree shop experience
OpenForests created custom web maps for WOWnature to show reforestation locations and link them to the tree shop.
This gave users a more visual way to explore the available planting areas before deciding which project to support. Instead of browsing only through product-style pages, users could see the project locations on a map and connect their contribution to a specific landscape.
The map became a bridge between the online tree shop and the field reality of reforestation.
01
Showing planting locations on a map
The first step was to make the available reforestation areas visible.
The custom web map allowed users to explore where tree planting projects were located. This made the tree shop more spatial and more concrete: each project was not only a listing, but a real place.
For supporters, this helps create a stronger connection between the act of contributing and the landscape being restored.
02
Connecting map exploration with the tree shop
The map was designed to link directly to the tree shop experience.
This meant that users could discover a project location visually, then continue toward supporting that specific project. The map did not replace the shop. It added a transparent entry point into it.
For WOWnature, this helped connect storytelling, location, and conversion in one user journey.
03
Making reforestation less abstract
Tree planting can easily become a generic claim if it is not connected to place.
By showing project locations on a map, WOWnature could make reforestation easier to understand. Users could see that planting was not an abstract promise, but something tied to specific landscapes.
This supports trust because people are not only told that trees will be planted. They are shown where planting is connected.
04
Supporting both individuals and businesses
WOWnature serves private individuals as well as businesses that want to plant trees or compensate part of their carbon footprint through reforestation projects.
The web map supports both audiences. For individuals, it makes the experience more tangible and engaging. For businesses, it offers a clearer way to understand and communicate the location of supported reforestation activities.
THE RESULTS
A more transparent tree shop experience
With the custom web maps, WOWnature could connect its tree shop to the real-world locations of reforestation projects. The platform helped show:
- where tree planting projects are located,
- which landscapes supporters can choose from,
- how online contributions connect to places,
- how a map can support trust before a transaction,
- and how reforestation can be communicated beyond a product listing.
For Etifor and WOWnature, the web map added a spatial and transparent layer to the tree shop.
For supporters, it made the act of planting or sponsoring trees more tangible.
Show people where their contribution goes
If your organization sells trees, restoration sponsorships, carbon contributions, or nature-based products, an interactive map can make the experience more transparent and concrete.
