Trees are essential to LIFE. They create the very air that we breath but when they are cleared, they emit carbon back into the atmosphere, placing humanity on a collision course with the devastating effects of climate change. Despite their importance to life as we know it, humans have cut down half of all the trees on the planet so far. At present we are losing a staggering 18.7 million acres of forests annually, which is equivalent to 27 soccer fields EVERY MINUTE.
“What we are doing to the forests of the world is a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.” - Mahatma Gandhi
We desperately need to plant more trees in both urban and rural areas across the globe. Trees are the best technology and the most cost effective way we have to take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by fixing the carbon dioxide into soils and biomass. 50% of a tree’s biomass is stored carbon and acts as a carbon sink a reservoir that will store carbon for an indefinite period. So quite simply we know we must stop the loss of our natural forests and accelerate forest landscape restoration.
“Trees are poems the earth writes upon the sky, We fell them down and turn them into paper, that we may record our emptiness.” - Kahlil Gibran
One incredible organisation working hard to restore the imbalance and are a shining example of what we need to be a part of is 15 Trees. On National Tree Day Sunday 29th July 2018, Bhumi and Fifteen Trees worked together with the Friends of Westgate to plant 500 trees at Westgate Park. The trees planted were all indigenous to the sand belt region of Melbourne and would have been found in the region where Westgate Park now stands prior to European settlement of Melbourne.
Featured Above - Earth Warriors: Charlie & Shyla Helping Us Plant Trees
Fifteen Trees began in 2010 and to date, they have planted over 110,000 trees across all states of Australia and New Zealand. While most of their customers are Australian, they can call themselves truly international with customers from the UK and USA. Fifteen Trees works with 50 nurseries and 100s of community groups (such as schools, landcare, environmental groups and friends groups).
Colleen, founder of 15 Trees, with a background in education (Environmental Science) and Sustainability, wanted to start a business that linked her two passions together. Colleen encourages businesses to step up and support those in the community who are working so hard to revegetate the beautiful Australian environment. Her goal is to plant one million trees across Australia. As the company grows Colleen would like to target more businesses and companies to encourage them to support the tree planting.
Above Location - Westgate Park, Melbourne Where 500+ Trees Were Planted On National Tree Day
“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
About the Author: Vinita is the Founder of Bhumi Organic Cotton and passionate about an Earth Life Balance.
