Why
Plant Trees
?
Full disclosure: Some figures and wording on this page have been taken from documents provided by the National Forest Foundation to their Small Business Partners.
To learn more about the National Forest Foundation, visit their site.
Cinema Natura LLC is a Small Business Partner of the National Forest Foundation, which works directly with the US Forest Service to plant trees in the areas of greatest need within the National Forests of the USA.
For every purchase, Cinema Natura plants one tree through its partnership with the National Forest Foundation in the form of regular donations to their 50 Million For Our Forests campaign, the largest in support of reforesting our publicly-owned National Forests.
A seedling planted through the National Forest Foundation.
Photo provided by the National Forest Foundation.
These trees help to restore the damage caused by severe wildfires, invasive insect infestations, disease, and other disasters; natural or otherwise.
The National Forest Foundation is a leader when it comes to natural solutions to climate change through their large-scale reforestation efforts. They are a proud 1% for the Planet member, a Platinum Charity by GuideStar, and a Four Star Charity by Charity Navigator.
Of course, there are many worthy causes to support, so why plant trees?
Trees help to fight climate change, conserve wildlife habitat, and ensure healthy watersheds for our communities.
Planting trees is also a tangible form of activism.
Combat Climate Change
Among the many approaches to confronting climate change, carbon sequestration is arguably our best hope. This is when carbon is pulled from the atmosphere and stored.
People are still working on the most feasible ways in which humans can perform this task through geologic carbon sequestration, but Mother Nature has already given us a fantastic means of biologic carbon sequestration: trees.
Through their natural process of photosynthesis, trees absorb carbon dioxide - the most common greenhouse gas - and emit oxygen. In fact, just one acre of mature trees can absorb 6 tons of carbon dioxide and release 4 tons of breathable oxygen, per year.
Naturally, then, more trees means less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which alleviates the effects of climate change.
In short, planting trees is our simplest, best approach to combating climate change.
Conserve Wildlife Habitat
Smith River. Six Rivers National Forest. California, USA.
Photo provided by the National Forest Foundation and US Forest Service.
America’s National Forests sustain more than 3,000 species of wildlife and 10,000 species of plants.
Trees, specifically, are home to birds, insects, and other animals. Many animals also rely on trees for foods like nuts, fruits, branches, bark, and roots. Trees even help to preserve fish habitats by preventing erosion along rivers and lakes.
Many plants and fungi also rely on trees for the shade, shelter, and foundations that they provide.
Planting trees helps to rebuild and protect the diverse ecosystems necessary for these animals, plants, and fungi to not only survive, but thrive.
Clean Community Watersheds
The National Forest System is the largest single source of clean water in the continental United States, providing reliable water for over 123 million Americans in nearly 3,400 communities.
Holland Lake. Flathead National Forest. Montana, USA. Photo provided by the National Forest Foundation and US Forest Service.
Forests help to clean rainwater before it reaches water sources.
Without trees, runoff from heavy rainfall would move along the surface of the soil, collecting air pollutants before moving to rivers and streams, ultimately polluting water sources.
Trees slow the rate at which heavy rainfall hits the ground, reducing runoff, which helps the water to soak into the soil where pollutants are filtered before entering water sources. 100 mature trees can intercept about 250,000 gallons of rainwater per year.
Furthermore, just one mature tree can filter 10 pounds of air pollutants per year. These pollutants collect on the surfaces of the tree before rainwater washes them into the soil, where the pollutants are filtered before the rainwater reaches a water source.
Tangible Activism
If you’re anything like me, you’ve often wondered what effect your advocacy or activism is really having, if any.
In the age of populist algorithms, social media posts rarely make it outside of our own echo chambers; especially, it seems, if the message is intended to be positive.
On the other hand, gatherings and protests are easily taken out of context and portrayed in a negative light; oftentimes doing more harm than good to a cause, no matter how just.
When it comes to planting trees, there’s no doubt in whether you’re making a difference. A tree is a real, tangible thing - living and breathing, no less! - that is being planted directly because of your support.
Most environmentally-conscious efforts, including government regulations, only limit our negative impact on the environment. These efforts are tremendously important, of course, but by themselves only slow the damage we’re doing to the planet, the environment, the ecosystems within it, and, ultimately, ourselves.
On the other hand, planting trees is a positive impact to the environment and actively works to reverse climate change since it helps to preserve ecosystems and pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
As someone who loves nature above all else, planting trees is the best way I can think of to have satisfaction in my life. It also gives me peace of mind to know that my existence will have a net positive impact on this planet, our home, Mother Earth.
Thank you for reading.