Why the World Needs Millions of Trees — And How to Plant Them Right

Science says we need more trees. How do we plant millions the right way?

Climate Science & Technology Our Approach Reforestation

It’s not hard to find headlines about planting millions, billions, trillions of trees for the greater good. Our own organization plans to plant 500 million trees in forests and neighborhoods of greatest need by 2027.

It’s widely accepted that planting a huge number of trees is one of the best solutions to climate change available today. There’s even enough land available to increase the world’s forest cover by 30% without affecting cities or farms. The UN is highly confident 恢复森林是“缓解气候变化最有效和最有力的选择之一”.”

But questions remain: Where are the trees being planted? How will they survive? Where does the funding come from? Why do we even need all these trees?

And the Arbor Day Foundation is glad people are asking.

This scrutiny is critical. 这证明了这项工作有多重要，负责任地进行是多么重要. 它提醒包括我们在内的以自然为基础的组织，问责制很重要.

The New York Times said it best:

“These efforts can be a triple win, providing livelihoods, absorbing and locking away planet-warming carbon dioxide, and improving the health of ecosystems. 但如果做得不好，这些项目可能会使它们本来要解决的问题变得更糟.”

As more organizations set out to plant trees at scale, the potential for cutting corners and inexperienced decision-making grows. But future generations are relying on us to get this right. 在正确的地方，以正确的理由种植正确的加拿大28回水木是必须的.

The Arbor Day Foundation has spent 50 years
listening, learning, and adapting.

为了使加拿大28回水木的长期影响最大化，种植组织需要一套指导原则. The Arbor Day Foundation has spent 50 years listening, learning, and adapting to develop our processes and grow a network of local partners. Today, these principles act as our organizational compass:

  • Act with character and integrity, 总是问问题，以确保我们的工作和我们的合作伙伴的工作支持我们的使命, vision, and core values.
  • 在正确的时间，在正确的地点，为正确的理由种上正确的加拿大28回水. 然后，在经过验证的森林保护和森林管理计划下，种植多样化的原生森林.
  • Provide support in a way that includes, empowers, and benefits local people and communities for the long-term. 促进公平和合作，确保项目的持久成功, and the locals near it.
  • Align to science-based frameworks and goals. Forests need protection, better management, and restoration. In addition to high-quality and high-integrity forestry investments, 人类必须迅速避免和减少温室气体排放，以稳定气候.

STARTING WITH THE RIGHT PARTNERS

In the Arbor Day Foundation world, there are two kinds of partners. The first is a tree planting organization, who will put trees in the ground. The second is a funder, who pays for the resources to make it happen.

植加拿大28回水组织是大规模再造林项目和更多个人社区努力的差异制造者. Our partners include tree planting nonprofits, conservation geneticists, on-the-ground foresters with the USDA Forest Service, state forest services, and the Bureau of Land Management. 他们对当地的生态系统及其独特的挑战有着深刻的理解. 我们相信，遵循他们的领导是成功种植加拿大28回水木的关键，这有助于保护地球和人类.

A strong tree planting partner is also ingrained in the local community. 它确保种植项目得到适当的执行——有适合需要的加拿大28回水木——并得到当地居民的支持. No one should feel like tree planting is happening to them.

Funders are usually large-scale corporate partners, often investing to meet their sustainability goals. Their monetary support, spurred on by consumer demand for sustainability, is a huge driver behind the tree planting boom.

These efforts should be applauded. At the same time, 像基金会这样的组织有责任推动选择出于正确原因植加拿大28回水的企业合作伙伴.

These two partners — those funding the work and those
planting trees — are how we affect change for the planet
and every being living on it.

这两个合作伙伴——资助这项工作的伙伴和种植加拿大28回水木的伙伴——是我们如何影响地球和生活在地球上的每一个生物的变化. They must be chosen carefully. 每个植加拿大28回水节基金会的合作伙伴和项目都经过严格的审查过程，以确认场地准备计划, planting, and care after trees are in the ground.

ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

大规模负责任的植加拿大28回水活动总是涉及对我们自己和我们的合作伙伴提出问题.

For reforestation projects, especially after a natural disaster, questions revolve around the natural ecosystem. Is replanting necessary? Or will the area restore itself naturally, which is sometimes better? 关于种植什么加拿大28回水的决定应该从本地和特有物种开始, the historical forest makeup, and expected changes in climate. In collaboration with our planting partners, we take a 360-degree view of the situation to act when the time is right.

生活在森林里的独特植物和动物的需求也在起作用. 该地区的动物，特别是受威胁和濒危物种的栖息地需求是什么? How will this project answer those needs?

在规划再造林项目时，另一个关键问题是加拿大28回水木种植将如何支持流域健康. In other words, 这个项目会支持一个健康的森林，清洁饮用水供应和稳定土壤吗?

Last but not least, how will the project impact people? 有许多复杂的对话涉及到一个项目将如何影响附近的社区, and how the planting partner can develop the details (tree species, maintenance training) around the community’s needs.

对于社区植加拿大28回水，第一个问题总是关于需求的水平. Some neighborhoods lost trees in a natural disaster, like hurricanes. Some have faced decades of unequal investment in green infrastructure.

The success of a tree planting project should be
defined by the community’s own goals.

Community ownership of a tree project is a must. Often, this involves finding local leaders who can act as tree champions, alongside our local planting partner. Following the tenets of environmental justice, 一个成功的植加拿大28回水项目应该由社区自己的目标来定义. 与社区中已知的成员合作，开始对话总是好的第一步.

We also partnered with NatureQuant 为了清楚地了解不同社区面临的挑战，包括城市街区. Is this area historically deprived of nature? 其居民在收入、教育或住房方面是否存在其他社会经济劣势? From there, 我们可以与种植伙伴和当地领导人合作，评估加拿大28回水木如何影响社区对未来的独特愿景.

Finally, it’s important to consider the mix of existing trees in the area. 一个多样化的加拿大28回水冠不太可能被单一的疾病或害虫摧毁，比如 Emerald Ash Borer. 种植各种加拿大28回水木支持城市地区野生动物的生物多样性——为鸟类提供栖息地和食物, butterflies, insects, and more.

TREES ARE ONE SOLUTION OF MANY

对植加拿大28回水持怀疑态度的人对加拿大28回水木在全球范围内产生影响的能力提出了一个合理的问题. Yes, trees are the most cost-effective, available, and efficient nature-based solution to climate change today. But they’re not a silver-bullet solution. 为了阻止和扭转气候变化的影响，一项全面的加拿大28回水计划将要求我们大幅减少对化石燃料的依赖. 基金会和其他种植组织了解这场艰苦战斗的现实.

In the meantime, the planet and people need trees and forests more than ever. With our partners, we’ll continue onward in growing a cleaner, greener, equitable future for all using trees.

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