Who We Are

Local or organic? Hybrid or electric? Paper or plastic or neither? Nearly all decisions today affect the environment, and figuring out which choices matter most often feels impossible.

That’s why we made Treehugger, the only modern sustainability site that offers advice, clarity, and inspiration for both the eco-savvy and the green living novice. With more than 120 million readers each year, Treehugger is the world’s largest information site dedicated to driving sustainability mainstream.

Staying informed and making smart choices is critical during this time of environmental change and opportunity; you’ll find that our nearly 20-year-strong library of sustainability content gives you the confidence to purchase a better dishwasher, build a green beauty routine, or simply learn more about the world around you.

We don’t care if you’re just starting to BYO bags or have been composting for decades, welcome to Treehugger. Sustainability for all.

Our Promise

It’s not always easy to discern reliable sustainability content from articles that are agenda-driven or salesy. We strive to cut through the noise, providing trustworthy content that’s both authoritative and accessible. Everything we publish on Treehugger is created with these core promises in mind:

Report with integrity. When it comes to our content, we’re committed to full transparency. Sponsored content is clearly marked as such, and we disclose all potential conflicts of interest. We never accept payment in exchange for editorial coverage.

When it comes to our content, we’re committed to full transparency. Sponsored content is clearly marked as such, and we disclose all potential conflicts of interest. We never accept payment in exchange for editorial coverage. Never preach. Just because we are experts doesn’t mean we are self-righteous. We may be peachy, but never preachy.

Just because we are experts doesn’t mean we are self-righteous. We may be peachy, but never preachy. Trust science. We’ll never be swayed by the latest hot takes or political spin. The foundation of our writing, editing, and fact-checking processes is rigorous scientific research—and we always cite our sources.

We’ll never be swayed by the latest hot takes or political spin. The foundation of our writing, editing, and fact-checking processes is rigorous scientific research—and we always cite our sources. Refuse greenwashing. Companies spend billions of dollars a year on marketing and know the power of an eco-friendly spin, even when it’s deceptive. We approach corporate environmental claims with a healthy dose of skepticism and refuse to play into misleading narratives.

Companies spend billions of dollars a year on marketing and know the power of an eco-friendly spin, even when it’s deceptive. We approach corporate environmental claims with a healthy dose of skepticism and refuse to play into misleading narratives. Welcome everyone. Saving the planet isn’t a special club. At Treehugger, there are no secret codewords or handshakes. This is a place where everyone should feel comfortable; where everyone can ask, learn, share, and be a part of a global globe-loving community.

Editorial Guidelines

Our in-house editorial staff oversees every article on our site. Our writers are experts in their topics, with years of knowledge gleaned from the academic world, the professional world, and the real world too. We have advanced degrees and teach at universities; we’ve designed buildings, studied science, lived zero waste, gone plant-based, and have even tried life without shampoo. We are passionate about the planet – we talk the talk and walk the walk.

We add relevant links to our content that may help you further your knowledge or enrich your planning about a specific destination. Occasionally, we link to outside websites if they’re relevant to the story, especially in the case of directing readers to businesses or products that we have tested and recommend. In some cases, we may receive a small commission should you click a link and make a purchase. All of these links are clearly labeled.

Quality Standards

Our editors review our text, images, and illustrations before publishing to make sure that our articles are accurate and of the highest quality.

Once a story has been published, we have a stable of experienced freelance editors responsible for fact-checking and updating our content library, regularly ensuring that every piece of content on the site is up to date, accurate, and free of ethical concerns, conflicts, or misinformation. If an article has been modified, the date of the most recent update is provided at the top of the page. Spot something out of date? Let us know by emailing us at contact@treehugger.com. We review all reader feedback and make updates to our content as needed.

In addition to our editors, our team also consists of visual editors and illustrators, as well as product managers, designers, and engineers monitor who monitor the usage of our sites, per our Privacy Policy, to improve your experience across all devices and develop new features.

Diversity & Inclusion

Our mission at Treehugger may be to help the planet, but we can’t do that in a vacuum. Issues of oppression and systemic racism are inextricable from the climate crisis, and its consequences disproportionately affect marginalized groups. More than simply standing for the environment, we must stand for environmental justice, which includes speaking up about inclusivity, equality, and human rights.

In June 2020, we made a pledge to diversify our in-house staff, prioritize hiring diverse contributors, center diverse voices and perspectives in our content, and share our platform with grassroots Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-led environmental organizations. We are committed to being fully transparent about our progress on these initiatives and will regularly update our pledge with information about steps we’ve taken.

Our History

Treehugger was founded by entrepreneur and eco-advocate Graham Hill in 2004. With a background in architecture and design, Hill’s vision was for the site to serve as a vehicle for driving sustainability mainstream – and to do so with a modern twist.

In 2007, TIME included Treehugger in their selection of “Top 25 Blogs” and Nielsen Online ranked Treehugger as the number one sustainability blog. The small staff grew into an international team of experts, and more accolades followed.

The site was acquired by Discovery Communications in 2007, and in 2012 Mother Nature Network (part of the Narrative Content Group) took over. In 2020, both Mother Nature Network and Treehugger were acquired by Dotdash, where they are now one big happy family.

In a 2004 post about the criteria Treehugger would use in deciding what to cover, the team explained that the primary goal of the site was to make it easy for consumers to research and purchase environmental yet compelling products and services, as well as to inspire corporate responsibility. “TreeHugger’s criterion will evolve over time,” they wrote. “Our initial approach will be loose as we get our sea-legs.”

We’ve grown a lot since then, and we’re steady on our feet. But the Treehugger mission remains true to those original values, and we will continue driving sustainability mainstream until the job is done.

Our Team

Molly Fergus VP & General Manager Molly has been with Dotdash since 2013; she has dedicated her entire career to digital media. Before joining Dotdash, she was an associate digital editor for Condé Nast Traveler, where she helped launch the magazine’s first proprietary website and an editorial assistant at Sherman’s Travel. Her writing has also appeared in Self, Redbook, Women’s Wear Daily, and CNN. Read more

Chuck Leavell Editor-at-Large Chuck Leavell is a musician, conservationist, and forester. He was a member of the Allman Brothers Band through the height of their success and has been the keyboardist for the Rolling Stones since 1982. He has a 4,000-acre sustainable tree farm in Georgia and was named an Honorary Ranger by the US Forest Service, of which he has said was as meaningful to him as winning a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award. He co-founded the website Mother Nature Network in 2009 and became Treehugger's editor-at-large in 2020. Read more

Melissa Breyer Editorial Director Melissa has been campaigning for the planet ever since her first Save the Whales protest when she was a kid. She has expertise in food, health, nature, and design and has been writing about sustainability since 2001. Her work has been featured in publications including The New York Times and National Geographic; she is co-author of the books “Build Your Running Body,” and “True Food: Eight Simple Steps to a Healthier You.” Breyer has been with Treehugger since 2012. Read more

Olivia Valdes Senior Editor Olivia Valdes is the Senior Editor for Treehugger. She has been with Dotdash since 2017, first as a writer and then as an editor for ThoughtCo. Before joining Dotdash, Olivia worked in the manuscript editorial department at Yale University Press. She has also written for The Economist Careers Network and other education outlets. She grew up in South Florida and lives in New York City. Read more

Lloyd Alter Design Editor Lloyd Alter has been an architect, real estate developer, prefab entrepreneur and writer, and contributor to The Guardian, Corporate Knights and Azure Magazines. He has been a keynote speaker on sustainability at conferences from Seattle to Munich. He teaches sustainable design at the Ryerson School of Interior Design and is currently writing a book about living the 1.5 degree lifestyle. Read more

Lindsey Reynolds Visual & Content Quality Editor Lindsey Reynolds is a writer and enthusiast in all things sustainable. Her work has appeared in Garden & Gun, CNN Eatocracy, The Daily Mississippian, Good Grit, and Oxford magazine. She lives with her two rescue pitties in New Orleans, Louisiana. Read more

Christian Cotroneo Social Media Editor Christian is the Social Media Editor at Treehugger. He was a founding editor at the Huffington Post Canada. Before that, he was a foreign correspondent based in South Asia. Previously, he was a reporter at the Toronto Star. Somewhere in between, he found the time to write about animals for The Dodo. Read more

Katherine Martinko Senior Writer Katherine's love for the environment began in childhood, growing up on the edge of a remote lake in the Canadian wilderness. She's been writing since then, too, honing her skills further at the University of Toronto before launching a successful personal blog, working for Discovery Network's Parentables website, and moving to Treehugger in 2012. Her expert voice on all things sustainable – zero waste and low-impact living, ethical fashion, clean cosmetics, free-range parenting, local food and more – has become a mainstay on the site. Her writing has appeared in Huffington Post, Green Parent magazine (UK), and been cited in several books. Read more

Mary Jo DiLonardo Senior Writer Mary Jo DiLonardo covers a wide range of topics focused on nature, health, science, and anything that helps make the world a better place. She particularly loves learning about animals and nature and always has a stray pet or two in her home. Now a Senior Writer for Treehugger, she spent six years as a writer and editor for the Mother Nature Network. Her work has been featured on WebMD, CNN, and in many newspapers, magazines, websites, and broadcast shows. Read more

Russell McLendon Senior Writer Russell McLendon is a science journalist who covers a wide range of topics related to the natural world, from agriculture and astronomy to wildlife declines and the climate crisis. Now a Senior Writer for Treehugger, he previously spent 12 years as a writer and editor for Mother Nature Network. Read more

Emily Manchester Senior SEO Analyst Emily Manchester has been with Dotdash since 2016. A former editor for The Spruce, she was a part of the team that launched the original site in 2017. Before working in lifestyle editorial, and eventually transitioning to growth & strategy, Emily began her career in fashion as an editor and stylist. She is now the Senior SEO Analyst for Treehugger, TripSavvy, and ThoughtCo. Read more

Quentin Washington Associate Director of Product Management Quentin Washington leads the product development team for Treehugger, as well as Lifewire, and the ThoughtCo family of sites. He has been with Dotdash since 2017. Read more

Nick Reiter Senior UX/UI Designer Nick Reiter is the Senior UX/UI Designer for Treehugger, Lifewire, and ThoughtCo. He has been with Dotdash for three years on both ad and product development teams. He also takes care of some of the office plants. Read more

About Dotdash

Treehugger is part of the Dotdash publishing family.

Dotdash brands help people find answers, solve problems, and get inspired. We reach over 100 million people each month, more than 35% of the U.S. online population, according to comScore, and are one of the largest content publishers on the Internet. Dotdash brands collectively have won more than 50 industry awards in the last year alone, and are among the fastest-growing in their categories. Our brands include Verywell, Investopedia, The Balance, The Spruce, Lifewire, Byrdie, MyDomaine, TripSavvy, Brides, Liquor.com, Treehugger and ThoughtCo.

Here is an overview of our properties:

Verywell (Health and Wellness): The Verywell family of brands, including Verywell Health, Verywell Fit, Verywell Family, and Verywell Mind, take a human approach to health and wellness content and are a welcome alternative to hyper-clinical health sites. More than 34 million people use Verywell sites each month to feel better and be healthier.

The Spruce (Home and Food): The Spruce family of brands, including The Spruce, The Spruce Eats, The Spruce Pets, and The Spruce Crafts combine inspiration with how-to advice to help users create homes they love. Collectively, The Spruce sites reach nearly 44 million people each month.

The Balance (Personal Finance): The Balance family of brands, including The Balance, The Balance Careers, and The Balance Small Business, deliver clear, practical, and straightforward personal financial advice to nearly 19 million people each month.

Investopedia (Investing and Financial Education): Investopedia helps investors understand financial concepts, improve investing skills, and learn how to manage their money. Investopedia reaches nearly 19 million people each month.

Lifewire (Tech): Lifewire provides helpful, actionable tech tips, advice, and answers, without confusing jargon. Lifewire helps nearly 8.5 million people each month get the most out of their technology.

TripSavvy (Travel): TripSavvy delivers curated expert advice for family and vacation travelers. We help over two million people each month have the best travel experiences.

Byrdie (Beauty): Byrdie is dedicated to all things beauty, inside and out. From hair and makeup to health and wellness, Byrdie takes a fresh, no-nonsense approach to feeling and looking your best. Byrdie reaches nearly 6.5 million people each month.

MyDomaine (Lifestyle): MyDomaine makes an aspirational life achievable—and affordable—with curated home-design inspiration, quick and fresh recipes, and healthy relationship advice that awaken a life well lived. MyDomaine reaches 2.5 million people each month.

Brides (Weddings): Brides inspires and guides our nearly 2.3M monthly users as they make decisions from pre-engagement through the honeymoon. Brides is committed to bringing you an inclusive look at the world of weddings, with every type of couple, every type of wedding, and every type of celebration.

ThoughtCo (Education and Information): ThoughtCo is one of the largest and most comprehensive learning, information, and education sites online. ThoughtCo helps 8 million people a month become lifelong learners.

Liquor.com (Home and Food): Liquor.com is dedicated to helping 3 million people monthly drink and live well. We inspire, entertain and educate anyone—and everyone—interested in what happens in the glass and out of it.

(comScore April 2020)

Senior Management Team

Learn more about the team behind Dotdash.

Contact Us

Do you have something you’d like to let us know? Whether you have a comment or an idea to share, we look forward to hearing from you: contact@treehugger.com.

For press inquiries, email us at press@treehugger.com.

If you would rather call us or send us a letter, you can reach us at 1500 Broadway, New York, NY 10036 | 212-204-4000.

Work With Us

Join our crew of top-notch editors, designers, programmers, and others as we continue help readers live a more sustainable life every day. View job openings.

We’re always looking for experienced writers who share our passion for creating welcoming and informative sustainability content. Interested? Email us at write@treehugger.com.

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Treehugger offers the highest value to advertisers through a combination of scale, credibility, and intent. Interested in advertising with us? Email us at sales@treehugger.com.