Our National Forests are in crisis as is our climate.
As a tree-planting partner of the National Forest Foundation (NFF), we at Sea Ranch Abalone Bay recognize the critical need to raise awareness and garner support for the NFF’s 50 Million for Our Forests campaign. We hope that we inspire you and invite you to join us in this important cause!
50 Million Trees For Our Forests from National Forest Foundation on Vimeo.
What makes trees so important?
Of course, we all appreciate that trees providing shade, beauty, and wildlife benefits. Just one single tree can be home to hundreds of species of insect, fungi, moss, mammals, and plants. But more than that, trees are critical to our lives in so many other ways.
Trees give us clean air.
For instance, our healthy forests are the most efficient natural system for pulling harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air we breathe. In a sense, trees’ leaves and bark are our ecosystem’s “liver.” Globally, forests may absorb and store as much as 30% of the carbon emissions from human activities; burning or clearing them releases the stored carbon back into the atmosphere. Healthy, strong trees offset carbon and reduce the effects of climate change.
Trees clean our water and provide stormwater protection.
Their leaves and branches act like a giant capturing device to get precious rainwater to the tree’s roots. As a result, they become one of the greatest stormwater benefits for infiltration and storage. Our forests and trees reduce the risk of natural disasters like floods and landslides. In fact, just one single mature White Oak (Quercus alba) can intercept up to 12,010 Gallons of water every year!
Trees sustain over 1.6 billion people.
Forests are crucial for the goods and services they provide, which people all over the world depend on. Trees are the essential ingredient to home and business building, landscaping, science, and medicine. Job opportunities for people who love trees include arborists, foresters, loggers, researchers, even Christmas tree farmers. The job opportunities provided by the forestry industry are endless. Not only does sustainable tree farming provide timber to build homes and shelters, wood to burn for cooking and heating. Food-producing trees provide fruit, nuts, berries, and leaves for consumption by both humans and animals.
Trees are essential to our health and well-being.
Besides reconnecting us with nature, trees help reduce stress and anxiety. By spending time around trees and looking at trees your blood pressure lowers as your mood improves. Numerous studies in the U.S. and around the world are exploring the health benefits of spending time outside in nature, green spaces, and, specifically, forests. Studies show both exercising in forests and simply sitting looking at trees reduce blood pressure, stress-related hormones cortisol, and adrenaline.
Additionally, trees are key ingredients in 25% of all medicines. Have you ever taken Aspirin? It comes from the bark of a tree! Trees may not (yet) be the answer to curing cancer. However, tree coverage does protect our skin from the ever-increasing harshness of the sun that results in skin cancer.
Trees help mitigate the increasing global climate crisis.
The idea that trees can help limit global warming is enshrined in the 2015 Paris climate agreement, with most countries including forest expansion as part of their plans to reduce emissions. A 2019 Swiss study suggested that by increasing the global forest cover by 25 percent we could capture and store about a quarter of the carbon in the atmosphere when the forests matured.
Why the Urgency?
Trees help the planet survive in the long run. But wildfires, invasive insects, and diseases have left 1 million acres of this precious land in our national forests in urgent need of tree planting.
This fact is never more critical than in California that sadly leads the nation in loss of tree cover in 2020 in every single metric as stated in a recent analysis by LawnStarter. In 2020 alone, our Golden State saw its worst wildfire season ever, destroying some of its oldest green giants: redwoods, sequoias, and Joshua trees. California wildfires ravaged over 4 million acres — an area bigger than Connecticut — accounting for 40% of the total acres burned across the U.S.
California has lost more tree canopy than any other state in every time period logged, mostly due to wildfires but also to droughts and pests.
Deforestation across the globe, especially in the Amazon Rainforest which has been stripped of trees over the last 200 to 300 years is a sign that this vital part of the planet’s ecosystem is failing.
This means that healthy forests are in dire need of our help. Not only must we expand on the number of forests we must also assure reforestation occurs.
Help our nation’s forests reach the goal of 50 Million trees planted.
We at Sea Ranch Abalone Bay commit as a small business to donating and supporting National Forest Foundation. We are excited to help NFF to reach its goal of 50 million trees planted.
Now we ask you to join us in that mission by contributing as well. When you book a vacation at Abalone Bay we will provide you an opt-in to donate directly to the National Forest Foundation.
Or better yet, click here to learn more and to donate today!
For a gift of $25 or more, you will receive a subscription to Your National Forests magazine, published twice a year.
Don’t wait to make a difference for our forests.
When you dedicate a donation in honor or in memory you can send an instant digital notification to the honoree.
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