Trees Journal
ISSUE 80 — 2023/2024
Contents 4 5
Foreword – from ITF's CEO
6
Community – a shout-out to just a few people who are growing a greener planet
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The business of trees – a look at some of ITF's key partners
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ITF loves – a round-up of recommendations from the ITF team
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Recipe – crumble with a twist from TV chef and author Peter Sidwell
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Trees changing lives – two inspiring ITF community-led projects
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Feel-good forests – environmental journalist Anna Turns explores the health benefits of trees
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How to plant a garden tree – a step-by-step guide for successful planting
24
Prayer of the woods
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The long read – award-winning author and journalist Jill Lepore on What We Owe Our Trees
28
Tree heroes – highlighting one of ITF's many superheroes
30
The power of trees – an extract from German forester Peter Wohlleben's new book
Good news – snapshots of some of ITF's 2023 projects
International Tree Foundation works every day to plant and grow trees, restore and conserve forests and strengthen community and ecosystem resilience. © International Tree Foundation 2023 Internationaltreefoundation.org Charity number 1106269 The Old Music Hall, 106-108 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1JE
Foreword from the International Tree Foundation The public outpouring of sadness and anger over the destruction of the iconic Sycamore Gap tree has felt like a form of grief. The reaction to this terrible action has confirmed our profound connection to trees and their cultural, historical and emotional significance. Turn back the clock to 1923 when Kenya was experiencing rampant deforestation. It was this destruction that compelled ITF’s founder, Richard St Barbe Baker, to join forces with a local chief, Josiah Njonjo to rally communities to plant and protect trees. This has been ITF’s raison d’être for over 100 years and we work with committed supporters, amazing allies and remarkable local communities in different parts of the world to continue St Barbe’s vision. In light of the climate crisis, our work has never been more important. It is encouraging to see our painstaking work expanding, with more degraded landscapes being steadily restored, bringing back wildlife, improving soil fertility, capturing CO2 and replenishing water catchments. Thanks to which, even more communities are seeing tangible improvements in their lives, particularly those who live on the margins. ITF walks hand in hand with local communities, we engage with academics to use strong scientific methods and collaborate with governments to ensure long-term sustainability. We are using new technologies and income-generating models to improve our success and bring lasting change to the communities that need it most. We know there is more to do and are humbled by the generosity of those who, like us, celebrate the power and wonder of trees, which we hope this Trees Journal reflects.
INTRODUCTION
James Whitehead, CEO
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Good news
Discover the latest stories from ITF, our partners and the impact your generous donation is making for people and planet. And read our views on the issues facing our environment and the communities we work with. Visit internationaltreefoundation.org to read more good news.
New green space offers sanctuary for Yorkshire village Riccall locals are now benefiting from a thriving new wood meadow, thanks to a partnership with Riccall Lands Charity. Volunteers planted over 1,000 native tree species to create a haven for wildlife and for the community. A wood meadow is a highly effective way of maintaining soil health and supporting a diverse array of plant and tree species.
Restoring Kenya's Mutuluni Forest For generations, the luscious Mutuluni Forest in Eastern Kenya has been a lifeline for local communities, providing food, fuel and pasture for livestock. But climate change and the increasing demand for charcoal is devastating this green oasis. We’ve teamed up with We the Trees, a community-based organisation that supports locals with training, resources and seeds to plant thousands of native trees and restore the Mutuluni Forest to its former glory.
Revitalising Madrid's scorched landscapes For 100 years, the International Tree Foundation has been dedicated to supporting communities in their efforts to restore degraded landscapes. Our recent planting event in Madrid is testament to our commitment to creating positive change. With the help of our partners at The UPS Foundation and 35 dedicated volunteers, we successfully planted 500 trees in Cadalso de los Vidrios, which was devastated by the 2019 wildfires. Trees Journal / 5
It takes a community to restore a forest. Here are some of the people we're working with to plant, promote and protect trees around the world. Follow us on Instagram and join our community.
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GOOD NEWS
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Planting a variety of British native trees with dedicated volunteers at UPS. #teamwork #communitytreeplanting
ITF is supporting a youth-led movement restoring arid and sem i-arid landscapes in Kenya. #youthempowerment #hopeforfuture #communityengagem ent #innovation
The business of trees The success of our tree planting projects relies on the communities and partners we work with. Their drive and energy has enabled remarkable progress. Together we restore landscapes and biodiversity, create employment and transform lives.
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Ecologi
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THE BUSINESS OF TREES
On top of being a major supporter of ITF's work in Africa, Ecologi has also been instrumental in the expa nsion of our UK Programme. In the past year alone, their support has funded eight community tree pla nting projects and the planting of 17,068 trees in Scotlan d, Berkshire and Yorks hire, as well as across four National Tru st sites in Norfolk, East Sussex and Surrey.
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3
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UPS
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THE BUSINESS OF TREES
hometree
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Hometree connects pe ople with nature, facilit ating a variety of projects that address both Ireland’s declining biodiversity and the unfolding climate challenge. ITF's partnership with hometree marks ou r first new project in the Republic of Ireland for many years . We're looking forward to growing this relationship and planti ng so many more trees across Ireland.
ITF loves
The ITF team has selected a few personal favourites from 2023 – you’ll find a mix of new recommendations and old favourites, that continue to make us smile.
ROSEBUD INTERVIEW WITH DAME JUDI DENCH
Legendary actress and tree enthusiast Dame Judi Dench shares her very first memories and her life experiences in this new-ish podcast from Gyles Brandreth. Dame Judi’s delivery, honeyed tones and irresistible laugh make this manna for the soul. You can also hear Dame Judi performing as an Oak Tree in Voices of the Lost Gardens, the quirky podcast from The Lost Gardens of Heligan.
IT’S OUR PLANET TOO
These fun, plastic-free kits are filled with simple activities designed to inspire kids about the environment and how to take care of the planet in a fun, non-preachy way. There are kits for all interests, from Tremendous Trees to Plastic Isn’t Fantastic. itsourplanettoo.co.uk ITF LOVES
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THE ISLAND OF MISSING TREES by Elif Shafak
In case you missed it when it first published in 2021, The Island of MIssing Trees is an evocative love story that moves quickly between the past and present, exploring the impact of war on Cyprus, on the natural world and the tender efforts to heal and regrow.
EAGERLY BEAVERED GREAT BRITISH WILDLIFE AND ENVIRONMENT MAP
This ‘Marvellous Map’ celebrates Britain’s species, habitats and the efforts being made to protect them featuring 1,500 wildlife hotspots, conservation projects, eco events and ideas for greener days out.
THE BOOK OF WILDING by Isabella Tree & Charlie Burrell
The trailblazers of rewilding show us how to restore nature in their new book. By rewilding just some of the 10 million acres of private gardens in the UK, we can help nature bounce back in spectacular fashion.
THE WEE VINOTECA
Award-winning and community minded, The Wee Vinoteca is on a mission to make wine accessible, simple and fun. If you can’t get to their lovely shops or wine bar in Hertfordshire and Cambridge, their thoughtfully curated wines are available for anyone to buy online. They are offering Trees Journal readers 15% off their first order with the code New2WV. vinoteca.com
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MATCH A LEAF
Not just for the kids, this fun memory game will help us all to distinguish our beech from our rowan, as well as interesting trees from around the world. Also contains an introduction to trees by the Head of the Arboretum at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
ILEX STUDIOS ACORN AND AVOCADO VASES
A firm favourite at ITF HQ, these beautiful bubbleshaped vases are designed to hold an acorn or avocado pit. Pop your vase on your windowsill and admire your seed of choice as it grows into a beautiful tree. ilexstudio.com
COBBS BEST OF LOCAL BOXES
Cobbs farm shops in Hampshire and West Berkshire show an admirable commitment to quality food from local culinary craftspeople. Available to buy online, their new ‘Best of Local’ food boxes are filled with delicious goodies from scotch eggs and sausage rolls to chutneys and sweet treats. cobbsfarmshops.co.uk
MAKE MY MONEY MATTER
WHO GIVES A CRAP
ITF LOVES
If you aren’t already a devotee, you’ve probably spotted these striking rolls of sustainable, bamboo toilet paper gracing bathrooms around the UK. 50% of profits from this genius B Corp are donated to help build toilets and improve sanitation around the world. whogivesacrap.org
Much of the £3 trillion in UK pensions is invested on our behalf without our say, driving deforestation and funding fossil fuels. Asking your pension provider to switch to greener investments is 21 times more powerful at cutting your carbon footprint than giving up flying, going veggie and switching energy provider. Visit makemymoneymatter.co.uk to see how you can ‘green your pension.’
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Peter Sidwell's blackberry, apple and fennel crumble Best known for his homely, imaginative style of cooking, Peter Sidwell is a chef, TV presenter and author of five cookbooks This pudding is just pure comfort food! A fruit crumble, is without a doubt, my go to autumn and winter pud! With this recipe I have worked on developing the flavours a little more. A mix of apples, perfect blackberries, a little gin and some fennel tops for a fruity, fragrant flavour.
Method
• 750g (about 2 large) Bramley apples • 400g (about 3) crisp eating apples, such as Cox • 250g blackberries • 30ml dry London gin • 2-3 tsp cornflour • 100-150g caster sugar, depending on the sweetness of the fruit • 2 tbsp of fennel tops, chopped • 240g plain flour • 150g butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces • 120g demerara sugar • 1 lemon for the zest only
Peel and core the apples, then cut them into 2cm pieces before placing them into a large heavy pan.
RECIPE
Ingredients
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Pour in the blackberries and sugar. Cook the fruit on a low heat until the apples are soft, but not falling apart. Mix the cornflour together with the gin and pour into the pan, this will help turn the juices into a sauce. When the fruit is cooked and the sauce has thickened, stir in the fennel tops. Leave the fruit to cool off for a little while you make the topping.
Mix the flour and butter together in a bowl until you have a crumble texture. Try to use your finger tips rather than the palms of your hands. Stir in the sugar and lemon zest. Pour the cooked fruit into an oven proof dish, then scatter the crumble over the top of the fruit. Use a fork to spread out the crumble. Don’t press it down as you don’t want to make it too compact. Bake in a preheated oven 170c/ gas 5 for 40 minutes or until the crumble is golden.
Win a fruit tree for your garden Sign up to our newsletter and you’ll be entered into our monthly prize draw to be in with a chance of winning a free tree for your garden! Visit internationaltreefoundation.org/ giveaway. RECIPE
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Trees changing lives International Tree Foundation has been inspiring communities to plant trees and restore forests to benefit people and planet since we were founded in 1922. Today, we work around the world with a particular focus on Africa and the UK. Read more at internationaltreefoundation.org
REPORTAGE
Healing in the Outdoors
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A wealth of research and evidence proves the positive impact that being outdoors and connecting with nature has on our health and wellbeing. This is one of the many reasons why ITF launched Healing in the Outdoors, an Oxfordshire-based initiative designed to enhance the mental and social wellbeing of refugees and asylum seekers by bringing them together in local outdoor spaces where than can connect with nature and foster friendships. The programme is a collaboration with Refugee Resource, which provides psychological, social and practical support to refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants. Throughout the year, the Healing in the Outdoors programme hosts seasonal outdoor events which include gardening, an introduction to allotments, forest gardening, hedgerow foraging,
"The programme provides psychological, social and practical support to refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants" tree trail walks and tree planting activities. These events allow Refugee Resource clients to focus on their mental and physical wellbeing while boosting their confidence in social interactions. Engaging in outdoor activities with peers can alleviate stress and anxiety for refugees and asylum seekers who have faced traumatic experiences and the burdens of leaving their homes. Ultimately, Healing in the Outdoors aims to facilitate each participant’s journey towards recuperation and integration. ITF has been heartened by the volume of support from other Oxford-based groups, eager to contribute and support the Healing in the Outdoors programme. Together, we hope we can make a real difference for refugees and asylum seekers, helping them to forge meaningful connections and improve wellbeing through the power of nature.
A gamechanger for communities in rural Uganda The simple act of cooking in rural Ugandan communities is a major contribution to deforestation in the area. For women and girls in these communities, cooking also has life-limiting consequences. Aside from the health hazard of inhaling smoke from fires, cooking can take hours out of every day to collect firewood from the local forests. Hours that are often at the expense of an education and paid work. This is why ITF is supporting Agri Evolve, a local social enterprise, to provide energy-efficient stoves to families in Uganda’s Kasese District. These stoves are a gamechanger, especially for less advantaged members of the community. They use a third of the firewood of a traditional stove. They “I’m happy produce more heat, that this program is not so meals cook more quickly and efficiently. discriminative, it’s inclusive in Plus there’s very little smoke and because nature.” the flames are shielded, they’re safer. And for those who collect rather than
buy their firewood and charcoal, there is more time to go to school and earn an income. Before receiving one of the stoves, most of Alice Muhindo’s limited income was spent on charcoal and firewood. Alice says she can now “prepare food using the branches from my trees without cutting down the whole tree.” For young people like Benson Asiimwe, installing the stoves has provided employment, which he never thought he could have. “Due to the status of my disability. most of the times, I do not get opportunities to participate in the income generating activities,” Benson explains. Benson is delighted to have new skills and a job that provides for him. “I’m happy that this program is not discriminative, it’s inclusive in nature,” said Benson. Although this project is still in its early stages, it’s been easy to see the positive changes it has already brought for people in Kasese District. Benson and other young people are being trained to build and sell energy-efficient stoves, enabling them to provide for themselves and their families. What’s more, they are helping to protect their local forest for future generations.
REPORTAGE
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Feel-good forests FEEL-GOOD FORESTS
Environmental journalist Anna Turns tries forest bathing and discovers how trees can improve our health and wellbeing
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FEEL-GOOD FORESTS
My eyes are gently shut. I can hear the loud crunch of the leaf litter beneath my feet. I blink open my eyes for a split second and catch a glimpse of the green-grey lichen on the gnarly brown bark in front of me. My partner directs me to move a few steps to the left and kneel down. Another blink open and this time, I’m confronted by a damp log pile. Throughout this ‘human camera’ exercise, I’m spun around, disorientated yet feeling remarkably calm as I soak up the smells, sounds and feelings of this south Devon woodland. I have stepped out of clock time, escaped the daily grind and immersed myself in nature. Welcome to forest bathing; a slow, mindful and sensory walk in natural surroundings. This ancient Japanese practice of ‘shinrin yoku’ is, as my guide Donna McCheyne explains, all about noticing tiny details and connecting with your senses: “You stop, you look, you listen, you smell. It’s all about being in the here and now. You connect to your breath, you might put your hand on the tree or listen to what the tree is saying - that’s mindfulness.” When invited to walk around, explore and find a tree to ‘meet’, I feel quite daft as I place my hands on a big, moss-covered trunk and pause to take a deep breath. Yet, once I’m there, I discover a new appreciation for this wild, living thing. So far from static and boring, this tree sways in the breeze and inside all sorts must be happening too. I begin to develop a deep sense of wonder and find myself losing track of time. “Humans have an inner biological attraction to nature – we’re attracted to green things, we find it calming. That’s called biophilia,” says McCheyne who adds that forest bathing can have a multitude of health benefits – from reducing blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease to improving sleep and boosting your immune system. “When we see green things, we know there’s life, there’s earth, water, air; that just has this calming, reassuring effect on our sympathetic nervous system [that governs our fight or flight reactions].” But how on earth, I wonder, can trees have such a powerful impact on us? A recent German study found that going for a one-hour walk in nature decreases amygdala activity in the brain, therefore calming down the emotional fear responses, whereas it remained the same after a walk in an urban environment. The study
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authors suggest that going for a walk in nature may act as a preventive measure against mental strain and potentially disease. In 2019, research by the University of Exeter found that people who spend at least two hours per week in
"Humans have an inner biological attraction to nature – we’re attracted to green things" nature are significantly more likely to report good health and higher psychological wellbeing than those who don't visit nature at all during an average week. Dr Mat White, of the University of Exeter Medical School, who led the study, comments: "It's well known that getting outdoors in nature can be good for people's health and wellbeing but until now we've not been able to say how much is enough. The majority of nature visits in this research took place within just two miles of home so even visiting local urban greenspaces seems to be a good thing. Two hours a week is hopefully a realistic target for many people, especially given that it can be spread over an entire week to get the benefit." By decreasing the activity in the sympathetic nervous system, forest bathing reduces your stress response, and increases parasympathetic nerve activity so your body can rest and restore. Forest bathing helps to reduce the adrenalin and cortisol stress hormones in your body, reduce blood pressure and slow pulse rate, and decrease anxiety, depression and fatigue. Dr Qing Li is a medical doctor based in Tokyo and the world’s leading expert in forest medicine. He has studied the human health benefits of shinrin yoku for 35 years and found that regular forest bathing increases the number of natural killer (NK) cells which play a major role in immunity and help fight cancer cells. Perhaps one of the most surprising revelations is that the positive effects of forest bathing can last beyond the length of a session. One of Li’s studies found that the NK levels of 12 men who spent three days and two nights experiencing forest bathing remained higher, compared to participants who visited a city instead, both seven and 30 days after the trip. So monthly visits could
"The impacts of nature are as wide-ranging as anything that medicine can prescribe but they’re gentler in many ways" Hanbury-Tenison has established a retreat centre called Cabilla Cornwall, which he has designed to share the health benefits of trees with other people, including army veterans. “We are all more well when we are in nature, no matter how far we’ve fallen from it. The impacts of nature are as wide-ranging as anything that medicine can prescribe but they’re just gentler in many ways,” says Hanbury-Tenison who is starting to cold press the phytonicides and other volatile organic compounds into aromatherapy products so that people can take the physiological benefits of trees home with them. While he is sampling from his own woodland, he’s also reproducing these immune-boosting compounds in a pure form in a lab setting to avoid depleting the habitat. In May, he launched a new charity, the Thousand Year Trust that aims to triple the amount of Atlantic temperate rainforest growing, first in Cornwall and then across the whole of the UK. Hanbury-Tenison is currently building a new temperate rainforest research station on the Cabilla site to investigate how best to replant a temperate rainforest ecosystem, how to develop agroforestry around it, and explore the eco-therapy effects of trees. This will be the first of its kind in Europe, as he explains: “Most research around forest bathing has been conducted in Japan, South Korea, a little in Germany – there’s very little UK-based research and yet we are absolutely one of the key climatic envelopes for Atlantic temperate rainforest which is one of the best habitats for these type of positive health effects. So this is going to be a place where academics and
FEEL-GOOD FORESTS
boost the body’s immune system and perhaps even play a role in disease prevention. When we spend time amongst trees, we breathe in tree essential oils or phytoncides which are naturally emitted into the air by trees as a form of communication. These volatile organic compounds – chemicals such as pinene and limonene - have natural antimicrobial and insecticidal properties that have evolved to protect the tree from pathogens and pests. It’s these phytonicides that increase the activity and number of NK cells. One man who says his life has been transformed by trees and these phytonicides is Merlin HanburyTenison, a former British Army major. Following three intense tours on the frontline of Afghanistan and a return to a high-octane career in a city management consultancy which led to burn out, he began to suffer with PTSD. In 2018, he moved back to the family farm near Bodmin in Cornwall to start his own family with wife Lizzie. As the couple prepared to take over the running of the 300-acre (120 hectare) site from his parents following regenerative principles, Hanbury-Tenison found solace in the ancient temperate rainforest here: “Whilst also going down the traditional clinical route for my healing journey, I found this was an incredibly healing environment,” explains Hanbury-Tenison. “Atlantic temperate rainforest is the oldest, most ancient and romantic habitat that we have in the UK. It’s the best habitat we have for three things: for carbon sequestration so it’s the best thing we have in the fight against climate change, for ecosystem services so it’s the best thing we have for restoring nature’s abundance, and I believe it is the pinnacle habitat, the best habitat, for mental health and wellbeing of the people who spend time in it, because of the physiological impacts that the terpenes and phytoncides and all of the volatile organic compounds that are secreted by our woodlands….they’re at peak performance in these habitats.” Now, at the farm, his very own ‘slice of heaven’,
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researchers from across the world can come and stay in the heart of the temperate rainforest and conduct longterm, multi-disciplinary studies to actually identify all of the many benefits that temperature rainforest have, both in terms of climate change, ecosystem restoration and those mental health and physiological benefits as well.” While Western culture is beginning to take more notice of practices like forest bathing, health professionals are starting to signpost people to naturebased activities through green social prescribing. Author Vanessa Potter has collaborated with psychologist and forest bathing researcher at the University of Derby, Dr Kirsten McEwan, to pilot free and easy one-hour guided Park Bathe sessions in urban spaces such as London’s Crystal Palace Park and beyond. And of course, the real beauty of nature interventions such as forest bathing is accessibility - anyone can sit in a garden or visit the local park. As McCheyne advises, “get your hand on a tree, lean on a tree – it will be helpful beneficial and therapeutic…just get out there and be with nature.”
FIND OUT MORE Shinrin-yoku: The art and science of forest bathing by Dr Qing Li (published in 2018 by Penguin) The Power of Trees: How Ancient Forests Can Save Us if We Let Them by Peter Wohlleben (published in 2023 by Greystone Books)
READ
The Outdoor Adventurer's Guide to Forest Bathing: Using Shinrin-Yoku to Hike, Bike, Paddle, and Climb Your Way to Health and Happiness by Dr. Suzanne Bartlett Hackenmiller (published in 2019 by Falcon Guides).
BBC podcast People Fixing the World: The healing power of forests on BBC Sounds bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0dy6c51
TREES AND MENTAL HEALTH
Series three of Vanessa Potter’s podcast, Finding Your Right Mind – all about green health benefits and the adapted version of forest bathing called Park Bathe podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/series-3-parkbathe/ id1543205446?i=1000534091275
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TRY
LISTEN
A guided forest bathing session near you – search by location at the Forest Bathing Institute: tfb.institute/events/ or via the Forestry England website: forestryengland.uk/forest-bathing
How to plant a garden tree Practical tips from ITF’s new tree planting guide The UK has an estimated 27 million gardens yet remains one of the most tree-depleted countries in the developed world. As well as being a source of wonder and delight, trees capture carbon, enhance mental and physical wellbeing, improve our air and water, nurture biodiversity, provide shade and shelter and so much more. And if we planted a native tree in every garden in the UK, we'd have 27 million more trees greening our country. So let’s get planting! Here are some tips on how to plant a tree successfully for future generations to enjoy. HOW TO
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Choosing the right place The first thing to consider is where you’ll plant your tree. Think about the amount of space the tree will have to grow in. Be sure to plant the tree well away from buildings as tree roots can cause subsidence, blocked drains and raised paving slabs. Trees grow at different rates and to different heights and there are species suitable for small, medium and large gardens. But remember that trees can always be pruned if they get too big.
HOW TO
Most trees like at least several hours of sunlight each day and
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prefer to be in a sunny spot. There are some species that will tolerate partial shade. They may flower less but they will still bring beauty to your garden.
Choosing the right tree We always encourage planting native and naturalised tree species trees, which are best suited to our UK wildlife and climate. And they help prevent the spread of imported pests and disease. Consider what you want from your tree – is it fruit or flowers, colour, shade, a haven for wildlife or something else?
Follow these steps to ensure your garden tree thrives 1. Dig a hole
Dig a hole that is 2-3 times wider than the tree's root ball and the same depth as the root ball. Clear the hole of rocks, weeds and other debris.
2. Plant tree
Carefully place the tree in the centre of the hole, making sure it is straight and centred. The top of the root should be level with the surrounding soil.
3. Backfill and firm soil
Fill in the hole with soil, tamping it down gently to remove any air pockets, adding more soil or compost if needed. Once the soil is level with the ground, firm it down to make sure the tree is steady and doesn’t move.
4. Water
Water it well. Newly planted trees require thorough watering to avoid drought stress. For the first three years, water the base of the tree regularly to give it the best possible chance of success. Avoid spraying the leaves, which can cause fungal disease.
5. Mulch
Add a thick layer of mulch around the base of the tree, taking care to leave a gap between the mulch and the trunk. Mulch helps to keep soil moist and prevent weeds from growing and competing with your tree.
6. Protection
Erect a tree guard to protect your sapling from nibbling wildlife, especially deer and rabbits. The first year of a tree's life is critical for its survival. Regular monitoring will help to ensure your tree thrives. As the saying goes, the best fertiliser is the gardener’s shadow.
HOW TO
Visit internationaltreefoundation.org for further advice, including which trees to plant according to your garden size.
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Prayer of the woods I am the heat of your hearth on the cold winter nights, the friendly shade screening you from the summer sun, and my fruits are refreshing draughts quenching your thirst as you journey on. I am the beam that holds your house, the board of your table, the bed on which you lie, and the timber that builds your boat. I am the handle of your hoe, the door of your homestead, the wood of your cradle, and the shell of your coffin. I am the bread of kindness and the flower of beauty. Ye who pass by, listen to my prayer: Harm me not.
Anon
What we owe our trees Forests fed us, housed us, and made our way of life possible but they can’t save us if we can’t save them writes Jill Lepore Republished with permission of The New Yorker The woods I know best, love best, are made of Northern hardwoods, sugar maple and white ash, timber-tall; black and yellow birch, tiger-skinned; seedlings and saplings of blighted beech and striped maple creeping up, knockkneed, from a forest floor of princess pine and Christmas fern, shagrugged. White-tailed deer dart through softwood stands of pine and hemlock, bucks and does, the last leaping fawn, leaving tracks that look like tiny human lungs, trails that people can only ever see in the snow, even though, long after snowmelt, dogs can smell them, tracking, snuffling, shuddering with the thrill of the hunt and noshing on deer scat for dog treats. I make lists of finds, two-winged, four-footed, and rolling: black-throated green warblers and blue-headed vireos, porcupines and
salamanders, tin cans and old tires, deer mice and fisher cats, wild turkeys and ruffed grouse, black bears and, come spring, their tumbling, potbellied, bigeared cubs. Even if you haven’t been to the woods lately, you probably know that the forest is disappearing. In the past ten thousand years, the Earth has lost about a third of its forest, which wouldn’t be so worrying if it weren’t for the fact that almost all that loss has happened in the past three hundred years or so. As much forest has been lost in the past hundred years as in the nine thousand before. With the forest go the worlds within those woods, each habitat and dwelling place, a universe within each rotting log, a galaxy within a pine cone. And, unlike earlier losses of forests, owing to ice and fire, volcanoes, comets, and earthquakes— actuarially acts of God—nearly all the
© Stephanie Mitchell Harvard University
THE LONG READ
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THE LONG READ
"As much forest has been lost in the past hundred years as in the nine thousand before"
destruction in the past three centuries has been done deliberately, by people, actuarially at fault: cutting down trees to harvest wood, plant crops, and graze animals. The Earth is about four and a half billion years old. By about two and a half billion years ago, enough oxygen had built up in the atmosphere to support multicellular life, and by about five hundred and seventy million years ago the first complex macroscopic organisms had begun to appear, as Peter Frankopan reports in “The Earth Transformed” (Knopf), an essential epic that runs from the dawn of time to, oh, six o’clock yesterday. In his not at all cheerful conclusion, looking to a possibly not too distant future in which humans fail to address climate change and become extinct, Frankopan writes, “Our loss will be the gain of other animals and plants.” An upside! The first trees evolved about four
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hundred million years ago, and pretty quickly, geologically speaking, they covered most of the Earth’s dry land. A hundred and fifty million years later, during a mass-extinction event known as the Great Dying, the forests perished, along with nearly everything else on land and sea. Then, two million years after that, the supercontinent broke up, a seismic process whose consequences included depositing oil, coal, and natural gas in the places on the planet where they can still be found, to our enrichment and ruination. The trees returned. The ginkgo is the oldest surviving tree species, its fan-shaped leaves unfurling lime green in spring and falling, mustard yellow, in autumn. The first primates showed up about fifty-five million years ago, in the rain forest. They lived in the trees. Our ancestors began dividing from apes— began, slowly, coming down from the trees—about seven million years ago; the
generally involved controlling fire and burning fallen sticks and branches for heat and to cook otherwise hard-to-digest food, or making axes to cut down trees, whose wood could be used to build shelters and, later, fences for animals. They cut and felled. Knopf printed about twenty thousand copies of Frankopan’s seven-hundred-page book on paper made from trees. I read it sitting in a house built of pine in a chair made of maple at a desk made of oak holding a pencil made of cedar. They cut and felled. The wood in my woodstove is yellow birch, burning, bark curling. To read the full version of this article, please visit newyorker.com/ magazine/2023/05/29/what-we-owe-ourtrees THE LONG READ
genus Homo branched off four million years later; and Homo sapiens began wandering around the understory somewhere between eight hundred thousand and two hundred thousand years ago, although exactly when is apparently a matter of fierce debate, which seems right, since humans are such a contentious, Neanderthal-killing lot. Here’s how Frankopan, a professor of global history at Oxford, puts it: “Like rude house guests who arrive at the last minute, cause havoc and set about destroying the house to which they have been invited, human impact on the natural environment has been substantial and is accelerating to the point that many scientists question the long-term viability of human life.” Climate change contributed to the extinction of Neanderthals about thirty-five thousand years ago, but humans, instead of dying out, migrated to different climates, or found other ways to survive, which
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Tree heroes
TREE HEROES
Josephine Wangari
For 20 years, Josephine Wangari has lived on the edge of Dundori Forest in Kenya’s Nakuru County where she cultivates her small farm. Dundori Forest was once dense and richly biodiverse. But over the years, Josephine has witnessed the degradation to its current state of small patchy remains of indigenous trees that cling to the disappearing streams. A mother of three, Josephine married at a very young age and had limited job prospects. Then in 2022, the 37-year-old came across Wezesha CBO, a community-based organisation that has partnered with ITF to lead an ambitious tree planting and restoration campaign in the precious Dundori Forest. Thanks to her diligence, leadership skills and passion for restoring the forest, Josephine was brought into the restoration project with Wezesha CBO, initially as one of the few women helping to coordinate a team to dig holes and plant native trees at Kamuyu site within Dundori forest. Her talents quickly led to Josephine’s first ever formal job offer - as a project scout for Wezesha CBO, which has provided food security for the family and funded her son through secondary school. Since becoming a project scout, Josephine’s daily routine has changed for the better. She says the job brings her immense joy and satisfaction seeing the beautiful indigenous forest emerging and farmers beginning to yield better crops. Her diligent efforts are paying off as the trees in her zone of supervision have the highest survival rates of any in the site and are flourishing!
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Be a tree hero Our trees and forests need you, almost as much as you need them Some people are just waking up to the vital importance of trees to life on earth. But at ITF we know that trees are precious. And when they are planted properly, they transform landscapes and lives.
International Tree Foundation is a charity which exists to plant, protect and promote the silent work that trees do to help us all. It’s an endeavour we embarked on over 100 years ago. And is just as vital today as it was a century ago. With a long history of growing trees and restoring forests, especially in Kenya and the UK, we know that the relationship between people and forests is vital. That’s why we’re a community-led organisation. This means that local people who depend on their local forests are the ones who decide which trees to plant, where and why. Your support can make a world of difference to our planet. Donate today and help plant trees that transform landscapes and lives. TREE HEROES
internationaltreefoundation.org/ donate
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The power of trees
THE POWER OF TREES
German forest scientist and author Peter Wohlleben explains why nature's "friendly volunteers" are the obvious choice for storing carbon To compare the services trees offer with what modern technology can do, let’s first take a look at the technology. It hasn’t got much further than the experimental stage and it sounds slightly mad. First, carbon dioxide is released to create energy, and then this energy is used to recapture carbon dioxide so it can be disposed of. The process is expensive and, in the final analysis, increases fossil fuel use by up to 40 per cent. And then the next problem looms. What to do with the captured carbon? Most solutions envision underground storage systems, perhaps in deep layers of rock. Scientists estimate, however, that only 65 to 80 percent of the greenhouse gas will stay there; the rest will escape back up to the surface. On its way up, the gas can bring salty groundwater along with it, which damages soil. Apart from that, deep rock layers and groundwater are unique, sensitive ecosystems. If we gas them with carbon dioxide, we have no idea what the consequences will be for the communities that live there. And then there are the enormous costs: projects like Norway’s Project Longship, where in a couple of years carbon dioxide will be transported by pipeline to be stored 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) below the ocean floor, are estimated to cost 100 euros a metric ton, the unit universally used to measure carbon storage and the one I will use for carbon calculations. Trees offer carbon storage with absolutely no risk to the environment, and they throw in
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all the other services forests provide for free. On average, beeches, oaks, and other species store the equivalent of 10 metric tons of carbon dioxide per hectare per year. Using the costs of the Norwegian project, this means each hectare of forest generates an income of 1,000 euros per year. Compare this with traditional forestry, which is “generating” numbers in the red right now. In better years, earnings barely exceed 50 euros per hectare. Instead of relying on complicated, risky technologies, we could turn to trees, which are standing by as ecologically friendly volunteers—for them, after all, carbon dioxide is basic everyday food. Perhaps it sounds too simple or overly romantic to rely on trees. If we continue to fuel climate change at the same rate as in the past, clearly one day even robust native deciduous forests in Germany and elsewhere will die and release the greenhouses gases they have stored. But if it should come to this, and if we really don’t turn things around, this will be only one of many problems— thawing permafrost and melting polar ice caps, anyone? We really don’t want things to go that far, and if we now— finally—choose the right path, throwing our lot in with trees has the added benefit that they can get to work right away, if we let them. With thanks to Greystone Books for this adapted extract from The Power of Trees, written by Peter Wohlleben and published in 2023.