Players will have the chance to benefit the environment in Pokémon GO during upcoming Community Days, with Niantic planting trees for those who walk 5 KM during the events. Pokémon GO has always focused its gameplay on getting players moving, encouraging all who catch Pokémon in the mobile game to walk large distances for important goals. Community Days are particularly good for exercise and long-distance walks, making them a great opportunity to implement a tree-planting project.
The 2022 year has already been busy for Pokémon GO, with Community Days, the Johto Tour, and short events bringing new challenges every week. Additionally, a 2022 roadmap for Pokémon GO announced the game will be making updates to refocus on original goals, reverting changes made during the Covid-19 pandemic. While not all of the updates have been positive for fans, it has encouraged many to get back to playing Pokémon GO outside, and it could benefit those wanting to help plant trees in the upcoming Community Day events.
According to an update from Niantic, the developer will help celebrate Sustainability Week by teaming up with Ecosia to plant a tree for every player who walks at least 5 KM during upcoming Community Days, starting with the Stufful Community Day on Saturday, April 23, 2022. Niantic's hope is to achieve a goal of 100,000 trees, though it is currently unclear whether there will be an in-game reward for those who hit the needed 5 KM. It is also indicated that future Pokémon GO Community Day events could be included in the goal, giving players several opportunities to participate.
While the chance to plant trees is likely exciting for many fans, Pokémon GO's Community Day changes could have a negative impact on overall participation for the Niantic's desired goal. In a recent update, the 6-hour timeframe for Community Days was rolled back to the pre-pandemic 3-hour duration, falling between 2 PM and 5 PM local time. Unfortunately, the change has unfairly impacted those with weekend jobs or obligations, creating difficulties for many wanting to join in. While it was announced in the PokémonGoLive update for Sustainability Week that the 5 KM distance will count for the entire day of April 23, some players may choose not to participate out of frustration regarding the duration alterations.
Despite this, those eager to catch Stufful as it debuts in Pokémon GO during the Community Day event will have the opportunity to both better the environment and snag dozens of adorable bear Pokémon for their personal teams. Stufful will also debut with a Shiny variation, offering Shiny hunters another adorable addition to their collections. Hopefully, Pokémon GO will consider adding further environment-boosting incentives in future events, while continuing to provide players exciting adventures.
Source: Niantic, PokémonGoLive