10. Let it grow!
I will plant at least one native tree or shrub this year, and / or donate to a tree-planting organization.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Trees and shrubs are environmental quality warriors. Not only do they remove carbon dioxide from the air and store it (both above and below ground), but they also produce oxygen, offer cooling shade, provide habitat for birds and other wildlife, buffer wind, filter pollution from our water and air, reduce soil erosion, and beautify our communities and planet.
An average mature tree absorbs and stores 48 pounds of carbon dioxide in a year. This represents one of the most cost-effective ways of reducing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. If every American family planted one tree, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would be reduced by one billion pounds a year.
TAKING ACTION!
Planting trees and shrubs is so rewarding, be it where you live, in your community, on public lands, or internationally.
Plant a tree where you live: The Arbor Day Foundation provides some good advice on where to plant trees around your home to maximize energy saving benefits. Also, check out this article entitled “10 Carbon-Storing Trees and How to Plant Them,” and choose the native tree options whenever possible. For a very comprehensive and informative guide on planting and caring for trees in Santa Barbara, the City has produced “Santa Barbara’s Community Guide to Tree Planting.”
Plant one or more shrubs where you live: Planting native shrubs around your home is also a very beneficial option. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden (SBBG) offers a terrific set of plant lists, including “easy California natives.” Also, you can talk to garden experts at the SBBG and get other free information about native plants. Here is Better Home & Garden’s list of top native plants of Southern California, which includes shrubs.
Plant trees and shrubs in your community and/or on public lands: If planting where you live is not possible, there are often community planting and public land planting opportunities. The City of Santa Barbara, for example, has an urban forest tree planting program that welcomes volunteers. The County of Santa Barbara hosts native planting events throughout the year at creek restoration project sites which are very rewarding, and then you can go back and visit the trees and shrubs you planted. The nonprofit organization Your Children’s Trees also has great tree planting events in both North and South County and always welcomes volunteers.
If you do not have the opportunity to plant trees or shrubs yourself, you can donate to great programs and organizations devoted to planting trees. Here are a few possibilities: The Eden Reforestation Projects, Trees for the Future, National Forest Foundation, Penny Pines Reforestation Program, Nature Conservancy (Plant a Billion Tree Project), and the Arbor Day Foundation.
ADDITIONAL MOTIVATION THOUGHTS
A recent study published in the journal Science concluded that increasing forested areas in the world by about 25% has the potential to store an equivalent of approximately 25% of the current atmospheric carbon pool, and is “one of the most effective solutions at our disposal to mitigate climate change.”
Trees can reduce heating costs 10-20% and reduce air conditioning costs by 15-35% (or help reduce the need to install air conditioning at all).
Homes near trees are valued 9-15% higher.
“Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky,” wrote Kahlil Gibran. Let’s start planting!
