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Trees and CarbonMost scientists now believe that the warming temperatures we are experiencing are due to human additions of carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse gases" to the atmosphere. But there is important help on hand. Trees, whose trunks, branches, leaves and roots are composed mainly of carbon, are important absorbers of carbon dioxide. Trees store carbon from the atmosphere as they grow. They "breathe in" carbon dioxide during the process photosynthesis, and then give off oxygen. Planting trees is therefore one way to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, and reduce the percentage of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Trees actually change the climate of a place where they grow. By providing shade, they shelter other green plants, maintain moisture in the atmosphere, and cool temperatures. When they are planted near human habitation, they have an important effect: they make buildings and properties cooler in summer, and act as windbreaks in winter, partially reducing heating needs. In terms of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, trees perform another task. They act as what scientists call "sinks," or natural places for some of the carbon from the air to go to be stored for long periods of time. The government of Canada recognizes "afforestation" (increasing forested areas) as one method to deal with climate change through the capturing (or "sequestering") of carbon. Trees are very important carbon sinks. It has been estimated that over a life of 80 years, a single tree can capture one tonne of carbon. So planting and maintaining a healthy tree is one way of meeting the Canada's Kyoto Protocol "One Tonne Challenge," reducing carbon dioxide by one tonne per person per year. www.climatechange.gc.ca/onetonne/english/. Getting InvolvedAs individuals, as citizen groups, as schools, employees or with simply friends and family, Canadians can beautify the landscape and help slow the effects of climate change, by planting trees. There are now some organizations and municipalities that make trees available. Others help pay the cost of trees for people who wish to plant them. There are also opportunities to get involved in replanting formerly cleared or logged areas with trees. Purchasing a tree from a nursery for planting around a home is an excellent investment in the future. Some schools with larger properties are even learning to grow trees from seeds. There is also much good advice available on selecting an appropriate tree for a particular location, and using good planting, mulching and maintenance techniques to ensure its continued health (see links below). The Importance of Trees
Trees save energy. A windbreak of trees near a house can reduce winter heating costs by as much as 10 - 15%! In summer time, buildings shaded by trees are much cooler, and can greatly reduce their need for air conditioning.
You Can Get Involved in Planting Trees! The first step is to decide how to get the tree or trees for planting. It can be rewarding to do a bit of research and discover who is most interested in planting trees in your area. Local organizations, conservation groups, municipalities, and ‘green communities' often invite residents to volunteer to restore and replant open areas, ravines and watersheds in their town or community. For closer-to-home efforts, there are sometimes grants or subsidy programs to help pay for trees for backyards or for spaces in front of homes on city property. If you are interested in getting involved in planting trees, you might want to start by getting in touch with your city, town or region, and ask for information or leads as to what is available locally. Here are some examples of types of supports for tree-planting.Neighbourhoods:
Schools:
Cities:
Regions: Earth Angels - Environmental Earth Angels provides indigenous trees free to participating schools. They also supply tree planting nstructions and documentation for developing the a tree plan. http://www.earthangels.ca/treeplanter.htm ResourcesTree Monitoring and Maintenance
Trees for Neighbourhoods, Streets, Parks, Schoolgrounds, and
the Countryside Tree Trivia Land Stewardship Demonstration Areas Evergreen Toronto Tree programs: Planting, maintenance, urban forests,
and more Benefits of Planting Shade Trees |
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Hands-On
for Shade, Shelter, Habitat and New Carbon "Sinks"
Trees
are amazing plants in the ways they affect the places where they
grow. When we look at the connection between trees and climate
change, many of these features of trees are important. Some of
the things trees do (that you many never have thought about before)
are: 
Since
trees offer so many advantages, planting them is one of the most
effective actions people can take in reducing the effects of climate
change. You can get involved in tree planting in many different
contexts: as a member of a household or apartment building; with
a school; as a street or neighbourhood resident, as an employee
at an office or workplace; as a member of a group or an organization,
as part of a city effort to maintain the "urban forest," or
even as a paying job.
Trees planted
on re-naturalizing areas have a far better chance for survival
when they are given care and maintenance to ensure their long-term
health. ACER offers programs for tree measuring and monitoring
on selected one-hectare plots in Ontario. They have also planted
a one-hectare urban restoration plot with young trees, to measure
and observe the health of species during this time of climate change.
