Stella McCartney launches Instagram challenge to save Indonesia’s Leuser Ecosystem

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Mar 1, 2019

‘There She Grows’ is the name of a new Instagram campaign launched by Stella McCartney to raise money to save the endangered Leuser Ecosystem in Sumatra, Indonesia.

Backed by some of the designers famous friends including Gwyneth Paltrow, Pink, Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon, the campaign invites participants to dedicate a tree to someone special and then nominate others to do the same with the hashtag #ThereSheGrows.

The luxury fashion brand said Instagram users can, through their tree dedication, help raise awareness of the ancient rainforest which is under threat from logging and development.

The brand has made a donation through Stella McCartney Cares Foundation on behalf of those taking part, and participants are also encouraged to donate to support the work of environmental not-for-profit organisation Canopy, which has been working to preserve endangered forests for almost 20 years.

Stella McCartney kicked off the social media challenge on the brand’s Instagram on Friday by dedicating a tree to her mother Linda and nominating Gwyneth Paltrow. The campaign will be celebrated at the label’s upcoming Winter 2019 show on 4 March.

She commented: “We can all start a challenge to bring awareness to this area in need of protection. Our planet needs us… We need it… And we can have a bit of fun in the process! We will start here and we can all end together in Paris on March the 4th with some sustainable fashion to celebrate one voice and one love.”

Canopy founder and executive director Nicole Rycroft added: “By focusing the world’s attention on the magical Leuser Ecosystem with her new #ThereSheGrows campaign, Stella McCartney is aligning the stars for the protection of this storybook rainforest and the animals that call it home.”

A 6.5 million-acre, ancient rainforest in Sumatra, Indonesia, the Leuser Ecosystem is the only place in the world where rhinos, tigers, elephants and orangutans (including the critically endangered Sumatran Orangutan) still live together in the wild. It is also home to 105 different species of mammal, 382 bird species and 8,500 plant species.