The Guardian and Observer 2019 charity appeal has raised more than £1m for its climate emergency campaign in support of projects which aim to plant and protect trees, woodlands and rainforest.

More than 13,000 readers donated an average of £75 each to the appeal, which totalled £1,015,000 on Thursday night. The money will be shared between four charities: Woodland Trust, Trees for Life, Trees for Cities and Global Greengrants Fund UK.

The donations will be spent on initiatives promoting social and climate justice through natural climate solutions, from safeguarding rainforests in the Amazon basin to rewilding the Scottish Highlands and greening Britain’s towns, cities and countryside.

Katharine Viner, the editor-in-chief of the Guardian said: “It’s wonderful that our annual charity appeal has raised more than £1m for a cause that’s so clearly close to what our readers care about most.

“Because of the outstanding generosity shown by Guardian and Observer readers, these inspiring charities will be able to protect and renew forests and green spaces, both across the UK and in the Amazon basin. Thank you to every single reader who donated – your generosity is so important.”

Eva Rehse, executive director of Global Greengrants Fund UK, praised readers for what she called a collective act of generosity and solidarity for the planet. “It gives us hope that we can tackle the collective challenge of the climate crisis together,” she said.

Steve Micklewright, the chief executive of Trees for Life, said: “A huge Highland thank you to everyone who so generously donated. Thanks to their amazing support, readers will enable Trees for Life to reconnect people with nature through volunteering days and weeks and educational opportunities.”

He added: “Change needs to happen at the landscape scale but small actions, such as planting a tree, can make a world of difference.”

Hundreds of readers left messages explaining why they had donated. Common themes were frustration with lack of government urgency in tackling climate change, and horror at the bushfires in Australia. Some said they had been inspired by the appeal to plant a tree in their garden.

Donor Eileen Dale wrote: “I want to do my small bit to protect the environment, help the survival of species and mitigate the climate crisis for my grandchildren and all their peers around the world.”

Another donor, Ruth Baber, wrote: “I [contributed] my winter fuel payment because this is such an important issue. Planting trees with Trees for Life was a transformative week for me. Trees are vital to combat the climate emergency as well as benefiting physical and mental health.”

The 2019 Guardian and Observer appeal was the fifth in succession that has raised more than a million pounds. The 2018 appeal for immigration charities which helped uncover the Windrush scandal raised £1.1m. In 2017 £1.7m was raised for youth homelessness, and £2.6m and £1.6m for refugee causes in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

The appeal closed at midnight last Sunday. The final total is expected to be slightly higher as a handful of stray cheques come in. The £1,015,000 figure includes estimated gift aid of £168,000. The appeal’s donation handlers, Charities Trust, will be paid a fee amounting to 3% of the gross total.