By Rob Keen, Registered Professional Forester and CEO of Forests Ontario and Forest Recovery Canada
Good news is rare, though it seems like nearly every day for the past few weeks there have been new commitments by global leaders to fight climate change by planting huge numbers of trees.
In my 38 years as a forester, I’ve never experienced enthusiasm for tree planting as powerful as what we’ve seen in 2019. The trigger? Climate change. So now, as Canadians, how do we harness and deploy large-scale tree planting on a national scale?
Planting one trillion trees around the world may be one of the most effective ways to combat the impacts of climate change, according to a recent study by ETH Zurich University and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
The study determined that Canada has the third highest land potential to plant trees in the world – 117 billion trees over 78.4 million hectares, to be exact. This represents more than 10 per cent of the global trillion tree target, meaning Canada has real potential to become a climate leader on a global stage by putting these trees in the ground.
To step up to our global responsibilities, I propose a national tree-planting strategy led by Forest Recovery Canada. Forest Recovery Canada, the national division of non-profit charity Forests Ontario, has already proven to have the unique expertise, infrastructure and network required to bring this mighty goal to fruition. There’s no questioning it any longer – Canada can and must contribute to the world’s growing need for trees and new forests.
Luckily, Forest Recovery Canada and Forests Ontario are well-versed in tree planting. With our dedicated partners, we have already planted trees across the country in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador – about three million trees per year.
The complexity of tree planting is far greater than many realize; from seed forecasting and collection to monitoring tree survival. We conduct site assessments to determine the best-suited species for the site; use native trees grown in local nurseries with source-identified seed stock; and have expert local partners who undertake the planting, conduct survival assessments, and deliver appropriate care. All steps of the process are completed with an unmatched level of accountability and are reported online and in real time.
As the global spotlight increasingly shines upon climate change, Canadians are embracing the fact that our country has a moral obligation to respond. Planting trees is an excellent response. Canada’s contribution to the climate crisis must begin today, and we are ready and eager to be a part of the solution.
About Forest Recovery Canada
Forest Recovery Canada (FRC) is the national tree-planting division of Forests Ontario, a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to forest restoration. We work with planting organizations, municipalities, First Nations, ENGOs and corporate sponsors to plant trees where they are most needed to lessen the effects of climate change. FRC uses a comprehensive approach to tree planting, ensuring the trees we plant today will thrive in tomorrow’s forests.
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Planting trees is great way that individuals can have a part in creating a better future.
Here is another way of creating a more pollution-free future. Waste plastic has become a severe pollution problem. But, we are seeing that waste plastic can be used to construct roads–apparently, with great success. As well, it has the added advantage of sparing our supply of bitumen (a component of asphalt) from the oil sands: https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/10/02/could-we-recycle-plastics-into-roads.aspx?utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art2HL&utm_campaign=20191002Z1&et_cid=DM358546&et_rid=720449376
In the past, developed nations would send their waste plastic to places like China and then the Chinese would merely dump it in the ocean. It has formed a plastic trash heap in the middle of the Pacific that is bigger than the state of Texas! It severely damages the oceanic biome. From the article:
“…Roads built of recycled, discarded plastic can use 1 million plastic bags for every kilometer built.
Authorities in India say their plastic roads are free from potholes, rutting, raveling or edge flaw, even after four years of use. [Now THAT would certainly be of benefit to Muskoka!}
The Netherlands is building plastic roads which are said to be lighter, quicker to install and to last longer than traditional roads.
The University of California at San Diego installed the U.S.’ first asphalt road made with a recycled plastic binder.
Plastic pollution is an urgent problem since the world now produces 299 million tons of plastics a year, much of it ending up in oceans… “
I find this article and the comments following are very positive and heartening. We as humans and here as Canadians are smart enough to get the message and get this done. I also support the planting and use of hemp and bamboo – proven essentials to reducing our carbon footprint and having a million sustainable uses. Ready to help, Rob, so bring it on!
What a wonderful proposal Rob.
Also would it be feasible with landowner agreement, on abandoned farmland such as we see in Muskoka, to stop cutting grasslands but to allow recovery of forests and to also have a tree planting program of native species there?
Should we have tree planting bylaws such that on every on 100 square metres of car parks there have to be a number of Trees planted, trees that must be sustainable and maintained re. Watering, space, soil? (Such Trees would provide shade for cars, people and dogs, reduce heat from asphalt etc.)
Can farmers be encouraged to plant (more) rows of trees on their arable land between fields?
And replying to Brenda above, according to “Drawdown, the most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming” “bamboo rapidly sequesters carbon in biomass and soil, taking it out of the air faster than almost any other plant…..can thrive on degraded lands. Some species in the right environments are capable of sequestering seventy-five to three hundred tons of carbon per acre over a lifetime” . Clearly bamboo is not a native species but seems worth investigating especially as it also has uses as food, paper, furniture, bicycles, boats, fabric, charcoal, biofeedback, animal feed and more.
Tell us what we can do to help, Rob.
Ever since the federal government picked up Ontario’s dropped commitment to plant 500,000 trees, I’ve been waiting for the Liberals to increase that number significantly. I’m surprised to hear you mention the contribution from local nurseries; especially as you self-identify as a non-profit. Surely, you’ve sought charity status to partially replace the nurseries’ lost income through tax relief? Also, where would you find enough public land to plant 117B trees?
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Echoing Mr. Shelley (above), I would be pleased to volunteer.
Sounds good to me. Where do I sign up? How do we get the seedlings?
Trees take a long time to grow. If we plant trees for long term healing of the atmosphere and plant bamboo & hemp as well it will work really well. The bamboo and hemp grow really fast. Maybe 3 crops of it a year. It works like trees as an air cleaner and it will be able to be used for paper, cloth, some types of construction which means that the existing mature trees can be left growing while the other new trees grow to maturity.
That will give short term and long term growth for the earth.