Creating a forest from the trees

Climate change is irrevocably linked to deforestation around the globe. Long-standing old growth forests have been decimated, destroyed and replaced by mining, farming and other short-sighted money-making interests. Almost 20 percent of the Amazon rainforests have been lost in the last fifty years. And scientists are continually warning that this dire situation is bringing us dangerously close to the forest’s breaking point. What that means is that the forest is at risk of collapsing into itself and becoming a savannah, filled with scrub and no longer able to be the carbon capture resource the world has counted on for so long.

Many initiatives are at work to help combat this crucial situation. These include the Rainforest Action Network and the International Working Group for Indigenous Affairs to name a few. But one U.S. based organization is working not only to combat deforestation but to preserve the longest living champion trees and their genetic history.

I’ve written a number of posts about Archangel Ancient Tree Archive (AATA), its founder David Milarch – an “irreverent, passionate, third-generation tree farmer from northern Michigan” and their successful program to clone Champion redwood and sequoia trees. Through they’re remarkable innovative efforts, some of the world’s most beloved majestic tall trees have been reclaimed and replanted into new forests with partners around the world in places like the UK’s Eden Project, Australia, Canada and here in the United States.

The latest success story is in Oregon. In 2020, AATA harvested genetic material from one of the world’s largest trees, the Waterfall Giant Sequoia, and successfully propagated it. In 2022 they shipped 2,022 thriving saplings to Eugene, Oregon in honor of the 2022 World Athletic Championships.

And a new thriving forest was born! Just take a look at this short video and watch how fast they’ve grown!

Through AATA’s and Milarch’s heroic efforts and many successes, new forests are growing and will be producing oxygen for us to breath, capturing carbon that deforested areas no longer and providing habitat for all manner of wildlife that are struggling to survive. And best of all, Milarch and his team are providing hope and inspiration for us and for the generations yet to come – hope for a livable planet and positive future.

5 Things You Need To Know To Create A Successful Vegetable Garden To Grow Your Own Food – an Interview with Martita Mestey (for Authority Magazine)

As we all know, inflation has really increased the price of food. Many people have turned to home gardening to grow their own food. Many have tried this and have been really successful. But others struggle to produce food in their own garden. What do you need to know to create a successful vegetable garden to grow your own food? In this interview series, called “5 Things You Need To Know To Create A Successful Vegetable Garden To Grow Your Own Food” we are talking to experts in vegetable gardening who can share stories and insights from their experiences.

As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Debra Atlas.

Asn environmental journalist, author, newspaper columnist, writer-for-hire, professional speaker and blogger, Debra Atlas focuses on critical environmental, conservation, agricultural and sustainability issues. She has been an avid home organic gardener for over 40 years, always working to improve her skill level and to expand biodiversity in her gardens. Debra’s mission is to inform, educate and inspire.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

I became a freelance environmental journalist / writer in 2008. I also started my blog envirothink around that same time. Some of my blog posts caught the attention of a representative of the Costa Rican eco-tourism industry. She reached out to me to ask if I wanted to come to Costa Rica and 1) attend and blog at the 1st annual People Planet Peace conference and 2) to be a guest (for free!) at three eco-tourist hotels and blog about them. It was an incredibly exciting opportunity and so much fun! Like all the best opportunities throughout my career, this one fell into my lap without my seeking it. I love those!!

You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

The three most important character traits instrumental to my success have been:

a. Tenacity

b. An unwillingness to accept “no”

c. Being a very good listener

Click here for the rest of the interview Don’t miss some great stuff!

Wild salmon documented inside fish farm

How wild salmon are supposed to look. But you won’t see this at British Columbian fish farms. Photo by Barbara Jackson, Pixabay.

They said it couldn’t happen. They said wild salmon would never breach penned-up fish farms. They were wrong. And that’s a big problem.

 

Volunteers Transform Illegal Encampments into Welcoming Public Places

Many of you know I was a long time resident of Northern California, a place of beauty and many natural wonders that still holds a special place in my heart. The following is an excerpt from an article I wrote that was recently published online about one of these remarkable public places and the trials and transformations it’s gone through.

A cleared section of Lower Diestelhorst Open Space is once again available for visitors to enjoy

With wildfires and smoke threatening the north state and beyond, it’s easy to forget the natural wonders in the middle of Redding (California). Those of us who’ve meandered our river trails recognize these as crown jewels.

Among these is the land on the north and south sides of the Diestelhorst Bridge. Many have enjoyed its paved paths, but few know the hidden trails of what’s called Lower Diestelhorst Open Space – the long-overgrown area between the Union Pacific Railroad trestle and the Anderson Cottonwood Irrigation District (A.C.I.D.) intake.

Thousands of farmed salmon escape into the Pacific – after the powers that be said it wouldn’t happen

Farmed fish have escaped into the Pacific, threatening wild salmon, photo courtesy of NOAA

Contrary to assurances by fish farming concerns, thousands of farmed Atlantic salmon have escaped into the Pacific Ocean. They escaped from a damaged net pen at a Cooke Aquaculture fish farm off Cypress Island in Washington’s Puget Sound on Saturday, This has sparked fears that the farm-raised fish could threaten wild Pacific salmon.

Bridging the Disconnect – Schoolkids Learn about Growing Food

Editor’s Note:  The following article was published in the March-April 2017 issue of AgMag magazine.

The Science Academy of South Texas has a secret – a garden where students learn about growing food

Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley used to mean being surrounded by citrus orchards and farmland. Today, residents are surrounded by strip malls, countless restaurants, pawn shops and automotive repair places, many reminiscent of junk yards.

“There’s a big disconnect between food producers and consumers,” said Brad Cowan, Texas A&M AgLife Extension Service‘s County Extension Agent – Agriculture, Hidalgo County.

26 Puget Sound (Washington) cities to plant cloned Coastal Redwood trees

Trees are vital to life. They provide oxygen, store huge amounts of carbon and provide critical habitat and food for wildlife. Yet the world’s forests are dying. In California alone, over 100 million of them have died due to climate change related factors, to say nothing of the scourge of clear cutting that’s decimating our forest land.

But there are rays of hope.

In Washington state, twenty-six Puget Sound cities are planting sapling clones of Coast Redwoods – among the oldest, largest, most iconic trees on earth.

Trees do have feelings – and they talk too!

Ever wondered about the language of trees? They have one.

If you haven’t spent much time walking or hiking through a forest, you may not grasp the amazing link trees have with each other. Scientists now know that they communicate with each other and support each other through difficult times.

Wind turbines on the Great Lakes? Not a great idea for the birds

Saw an interesting article today about how putting wind turbines on the Great Lakes could do serious harm to the birds around and migrating through the Great Lake region.

Traditional wind turbines create a horrendous level of bird kills. Endangered birds such as bald eagles, which are federally protected,  and bats – which are threatened by the white nose syndrome plague – are losing their lives in continually growing numbers due to strikes by wind turbines.

Why Australia’s loss of 7,000 hectares of mangroves will have serious consequences

Dead mangrove forest off Australia’s east coast, photo by James Cook University

Climate change has wrecked havoc not only on our weather patterns but on the world’s forest and ecological systems. And the impact is devastating.

In the U.S., severe drought and major insect infestations have been responsible for almost unimaginable die-offs of old growth forests. In Australia El Nino conditions have caused the die-off of a 7000 kilometer (approximately 4,349 miles) stretch of mangrove shoreline in the southern reaches of the Gulf of Carpentaria.