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In Burundi, one-time combatants who razed forests now raise seedlings

Dieudonné Ndanezerewe

April 21, 2022 |

Mongabay |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Burundi

Communities that experienced decades of war worked together with the government, military, and police on a vast national reforestation program that planted at least 150 million trees over four years. The groups conducted a census and established nurseries where they grow saplings of the appropriate trees to plant.

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Seedballs Aiding Kenya's Reforestation Efforts

Sharon Atieno

March 17, 2022 |

Science Africa |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Kenya

In Kenya, like other countries in the world, deforestation is the major driver of tree cover loss. To solve this, a local startup called Seedball Kenya has developed the seedball technology whereby seeds of indigenous tree and grass species are coated with charcoal waste mixed with nutritious binders then thrown like balls into the planting grounds.

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Maryland Town Turns Flood Zone into a Tourist Attraction

David Kidd

January 20, 2022 |

Governing |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Frederick, Maryland

When algae overgrowth began to plague the Carroll Creek flood control project, a group of volunteers cultivated 1,000 floating canopies of plants to block the sunlight that algae need to grow, allowing the community to maintain the effective underground concrete conduits that move storm water. 250 volunteers maintain the plants throughout the year and the creek, previously made unusable by the algae, now draws tourists to see various attractions.

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Want to Solve Wildfires and Drought? Leave it to BEAVERS!

Joe Hanson Mimi Schiffman

November 18, 2021 |

PBS |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Oregon

Beavers can be a tool in the fight against climate change. The dams that beavers build have multiple benefits for the environment. Studies show that beaver complexes are greener. They store so much water in the soil and plants that they act like an underground irrigation system. Studies also show that fires in an area with streams without beavers burn three times more intensely that those with beavers. Beaver habits are so successful, that scientist are replicating their damns to mitigate the effects of climate change.

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Blue forests are under threat. A quiet revolution could save them

Laura Joffre

October 22, 2021 |

Pioneers Post |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Madagascar

Mangroves can store up six times more carbon than an area equal to the Amazon rainforest. However, they are rapidly declining, over the past century their population has been reduced by 30 to 50 percent. One nonprofit, Blue Ventures, is working with local communities to regenerate fisheries, which helps the mangroves. They're also helping local communities to manage their mangroves.

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Women on storm-hit Philippine island lead Indigenous effort to restore mangroves

Keith Anthony S. Fabro

October 07, 2021 |

Mongabay |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Philippines

When Typhoon Haiyan hit the island of Busuanga in the western Phillipines it brought imminent destruction. It prompted residents, especially the women of the island, to rehabilitate the mangrove forests. Apart from storing high amounts of carbon, mangroves acts as buffers against storms and protect the coast. The indigenous women of the island monitor the growth of the mangroves.

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Heat dome hit these Vancouver neighbourhoods hardest — could planting more trees save lives?

Stefan Labbé

September 28, 2021 |

North Shore News |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia

The “Greenest City Action Plan” aimed to reduce the effects of extreme heat by planting 100,000 trees. Shade from trees acts as a thermal buffer during extreme heat and cold and a lack of trees disproportionately impacts low-income communities. The program surpassed its goal by planting trees in parks and along streets, as well as by buying small plots of land to create “pocket parks” with trees providing shade. The city subsidized trees for homeowners, who were banned from cutting down mature, healthy trees on their properties, and ran education programs to increase resident buy-in.

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A shot of recycled water revives a flourishing ecosystem on the Santa Cruz River in Tucson

Ian James

September 08, 2021 |

AZ Central (The Arizona Republic) |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Tucson, Arizona

By rewetting part of the Santa Cruz River in Tucson, the city has been able to revitalize an ecosystem that was once thought to be lost. Through collaboration and research, hundreds of species of creatures have returned to the river. This restoration project could serve as a model for other cities that want to help their desert rivers and sustain wildlife habitats.

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A San Francisco Airport Site Is Crawling With Snakes—And That's a Good Thing

Ashley Stimpson

July 27, 2021 |

Atlas Obscura |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

The endangered San Francisco garter snake has made a comeback due to conservation efforts at the San Francisco International airport. They built ponds and wetlands to make the conditions ideal for the snake to thrive and as a result, approximately 1,300 snakes call the property home. While there are still issues with invasive plants and industrial runoff polluting the area, the ecological improvements have helped the snake population’s rebound.

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Could miniature forests help air-condition cities?

The Economist

July 03, 2021 |

The Economist |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Japan

The Miyawaki method of planting miniature natural forests in cities as a way to reduce air pollution and cool down temperatures is gaining ground throughout the world. The process involves planting a variety of trees in a particular way that allows for them to grow rapidly. While this method is very labor intensive and can be difficult to scale, there are more than 1,500 of these types of forests in Japan, India, and Pakistan.

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