Trees Journal 2019 Issue 76

Volume 76 - Autumn 2019

Journal of International Tree Foundation

A global community of people planting trees

CONTENTS

4 5 6-7

News

10-11

Wise Old Trees

16-17 18-21 22 23

Mwangi, Director of

Yew Trees Climate Crisis In Kenya

14-15

Joseph

Tree Pledge

8-9

12-13

COVER Image:

ITF partner organsation Globe Gone Green leading a ‘Tree Challenge’ planting trees

Champion of Justice

with children in schools

Mount Bamboutos Initiative

in Kenya as part of ‘My

I Lived In A Tree For Two Years

20 Trees and Me: Growing Up

Forty Years In The Forest

Together’.

Together they

Partner Updates

have planted 7,100 seedlings

How To Get Involved/

in 2019 so far.

Photo Competition

Photo credit: Kay Photography

Founder:

Vice Chair:

Richard St. Barbe Baker

Maria Grecna Trustees:

International Tree Foundation

Patron:

Josiah Kimani

228-240 Banbury Road

His Royal Highness

Mardi McBrien

Oxford

The Prince of Wales

Miriam Reru

OX2 7BY

President:

Kate Schreckenburg

United Kingdom

Prof Sir Ghillean Prance

Chief Executive:

Vice Presidents:

Andy Egan

(+44) 01865 922 430

Prof Julian Evans

Executive Producer:

info@internationaltreefoundation.org

Edward Green MBE

Nicola Leigh Doyle

Susan Hampshire

Designer:

Charity Number: 1106269

The Earl of Lindsay

:Dastbury

Company Number: 05219549

Prof Roger Leakey

Printed by:

Chair:

Seacourt - Planet Positive Printing

www.internationaltreefoundation.org

2 | TREESJOURNAL2019

Timothy Hornsby CBE

TREESJOURNAL2019 | 2

ForEwOrd

Welcome to the 2019 Trees journal It is my pleasure to give this foreword for the 76th Volume of the Trees Journal. I am excited that this year’s Journal provides an opportunity for grassroots communities to showcase what works for them as far as environmental protection and conservation and regeneration concerned.

For our esteemed readers, current and potential funders, ITF and its partners through this Journal give an account of what has been achieved with small resources and more importantly, the future opportunities for scaling the community approach to natural resource management.

ITF’s support to community based organizations to undertake afforestation and agroforestry needs to be appreciated.

Their strategy of bringing on board local people, often those affected by negative developments to take the lead to restore their own plots of land for food production is spot on. It has to begin with the community groups because, low running costs enables more profit, collective action exists within small groups, decision making is simpler, and ownership is clear and well defined.

Cohesion among groups is further enhanced and capacity building among them empowers the community to be custodians of their own landscapes.

Our approach as Masaka District Landcare Chapter (MADLACC) is to reach out to farming communities through the primary schools. Pupils are trained in managing tree nurseries, crop gardens and animals. Some of their tree seedlings are planted in the school compound while others are planted by the pupils and parents at their homes.

This has greatly improved tree cover in the community around schools where we work.

It is my wish that this approach is replicated so the younger generation is empowered to become the next promoters of reversing the destruction, and increasing vegetation cover in Africa and the world in general.

I would like to thank ITF for the efforts to mobilize and support communities internationally. I strongly believe that community empowerment is the only feasible and sustainable way to ensure natural resources will be protected and ecosystems restored by local land users taking the lead.

Thank you.

Mr. Wakulira Mathias Community Facilitator and MADLACC Coordinator.

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NEWS Sounding the alarm

Wellbeing in the Woods ITF’s latest project in Sheffield takes small groups of young people away from their normal urban environment and out into beautiful woodlands. The group Tree Power comes together to light a fire and share food before taking After the success of Tree Power part in a variety of activities. The for Schools we created Tree young people we work with are Power Two - Healthy Food, living in supported housing, People and Planet. This has having been homeless. been picked up by schools who are really enjoying working on Karen Shimwell of Sheffield the project with their students.

Foyer said “Residents that need time out, away from ‘The children loved trying the broad beans and Quorn the pressure of the hostel have really sausages and the game environment appreciated our peaceful days (Restaurant Relay) was fun and interactive. It enabled the in the woods. It’s notable that children to practice the new people with anxiety have joined vocabulary and to explore what in and benefited the most.” it actually meant to be a vegan.

The project will end with an The planting pips activity was exhibition of photographs at great too and the children Exchange Place Studios run by delighted in watching the first Yorkshire Artspace in Sheffield. shoots appear!’

It will be open to the public from 2nd December for two weeks.

- Sophie Kerswell, Teacher St. Mary’s Catholic School, This project has been made possible by a Buckfast, Devon grant from Postcode Local Trust, a grantgiving charity funded entirely by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery.

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September 20th 2019 saw youth across the UK gather together as part of the Global Climate Strike. Championed and lead by 16-year-old environmental activist Greta Thunberg, #FridaysForFuture calls students to protest for change.

Nicola Doyle and Jenny Weld from ITF experienced an overwhelming sense of hope, support and emotion at the Global Climate Strike in London.

At the largest environmental protest in history they saw countless placards calling for trees, with signs like ‘Treesistance’, ‘Treeson!, ‘I Stand For The Trees’ and ‘Mum, what’s a tree?’.

At 1pm the alarm was raised to draw attention to the crisis across the nation. It hit Nicola and Jenny that the work of ITF is not only needed but desperately wanted. The youth of today are ready. What can you do for their fear of the future? What can you do for their trees?

15TREES BILLION

are lost each year Act now

take the tree pledge HELP US TO REFOREST THE EARTH BY PLANTING 10 TREES EACH YEAR. When ITF began in 1922 the founding members each made a pledge together to plant 10 trees each every year, do one good deed every day and care for trees everywhere.

Almost 100 years later ITF have brought back the Tree Pledge as right now deforestation is a major contributor to the climate and ecological crises and reforestation is one of the best natural solutions.

PLEDGE ONLINE www.internationaltreefoundation.org/treepledge

We are calling for our first 500 Pledgers to pledge £10 per month - together helping to plant 120,000 trees in one year!

Will you become one of the first 500 Pledgers and join a global community of people planting trees?

TREESJOURNAL2019 | 5

Janis Fry, founder of the Friends of the Yew Tree Campaign shares the story of the campaign so far.

In the year since the start of the Campaign for Legal Protection of Ancient Yews, it has gained 232,000 signatures, more than any other tree petition! Britain has the largest collection of ancient Yews on Earth. These trees are considered to be the oldest trees, of any kind. They are incredibly precious and a vital part of our heritage - but we are gradually losing them one by one.

There’s been plenty of criticism from those who say I cannot succeed where national tree organisations have failed, but I have to try.

The Church do not see the need for legislation even though churches are becoming redundant and two thirds of Britain's

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ancient yews are in churchyards. These are over 2,000 years old.

However what is being achieved, is a far greater public awareness of ancient yews and a growing interest in them, gained through the updates, at the bottom of the petition, about these awesome, iconic trees.

I put the great yew tree at Defynnog near Brecon, on the map in 2014, as probably the oldest tree in Britain, a contender for that title with the Fortingall Yew. Now this once sleepy place is a centre for people from all over the world who come to visit and honour this 5,000 year old tree, once the centre of a tribe’s world.

The Yew is the Tree of Life, known as such in all cultures of the northern hemisphere and celebrated since early times for its powers of continual regeneration and immortality.

The tree of life, death and eternity, the yew is a focus for meditation, particularly as we face climate change and the possibility of our own extinction. If we are to survive, we need to reconnect with these beings, which were here to support us when we, humanity, first emerged on our planet. Trees gave us companionship, oxygen, food, water, fire, compost and building materials. They still struggle to serve us, a species gone mad, destroying our own environment and precious forest, at a rate that is hard to imagine.

With Christianity in decline, a spiritual hunger remains in Britain. We will always have a need for environmental and spiritual wellbeing, and trees are an important part of this.

Many years ago I learnt the Flowering Tree ceremony from the Hopi shaman, Arwyn Dreamwalker, as a way of communicating with trees and gaining insight into ourselves and our values. A key part of this ceremony is asking what we can do for the tree. That is the question we should all be asking. If we first serve the natural world, our own needs will be taken care of.

We must return to reverence of our Sacred ancient yew trees, which are dying from neglect, ignorance and other priorities. Remove the ivy and rubbish as a community venture. The trees must be cared for.

The legal protection, we seek for the ancient yews, the Sacred Trees, begins with a new attitude of rescuing them from our own indifference and abuse and from our need to place responsibility outside ourselves.

TREESJOURNAL2019 | 7

CLIMATE CRISIS IN KENYA: WHY REFORESTATION IS VITAL - Teresa Gitonga, ITF Campaign Manager, Kenya

TREES PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN ADDRESSING CLIMATE If we are to to create a habitable world for current and future generations. We have to reduce deforestation and restore damaged forests: the world needs more trees and healthy forests.

A REAL CRISIS We continue to watch our rain-forests burn and disappear, taking lives and our breath away with it. As we watch the tragic impacts on our planet - it is time to recognise that climate ‘change’ has happened, we are now looking at a climate crisis. A crisis causing stronger hurricanes and forest fires, drying up water resources, diminishing food security, and displacing large populations in search of basic needs. We at ITF are acting to fulfill the solutions proposed by our founder, Richard St. Barbe Baker: rebuilding wildlife habitat, restoring soil and critical watersheds, all while improving the lives of the communities who rely on the forests the most.

St. Barbe was generations ahead of his time recognizing the importance of trees and forests in sustaining life on earth. He inspired thousands of people across the world to join him in planting and protecting billions of trees.

It is my pleasure to continue this legacy from Africa.

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WILDLIFE CONFLICT A DANGEROUS POSITION Kenya is at the tipping point of global warming.

Its high dependence on climate-sensitive agricultural production leaves it in a dangerous position.

Increased temperatures, erratic rainfall, and drought are threatening Kenya’s sustainable development.

Our economy is largely dependent on rain-fed agriculture and tourism, both susceptible to climate variability and extreme weather.

While national poverty rates fell in recent years, poverty rates in arid and semi-arid regions of the north remain over 80%.

Recently declining rainfall in the main rainy season has impacted agricultural production.

Temperatures are increasing, evaporation rates are up, and rainfall is very variable. The seasons are now erratic so planting trees has been difficult to impossible this year.

In a water-scarce country, strained by population growth, urbanisation is leading to expanding informal settlements, which are at risk from water scarcity, flooding, and heat. Recurrent droughts and floods are likely to be exacerbated by increasing temperatures, heavy rainfall events and sea-level rise which will lead to severe crop and livestock losses, famine and displacement.

Current forest cover in Kenya is 7.5%, far below the 10% constitutional requirement.

The more frequent droughts have led wild animals such as elephants and lions to wander further through this small percentage of forest in search of water and food.

Lions come into conflict with humans when they kill sheep and goats in the villages near the national parks.

Elephants have also been known to trample food crops when searching for food and water. One of ITF’s priorities is forest restoration in these areas.

FIRE ITF works around Mount Kenya which has an incredible wilderness made up of lakes, glaciers, dense forest, mineral springs, and rare animals. Open burning of agricultural fields, to prepare for planting or after harvest, can cause fires to spread into natural vegetation on Mount Kenya. Most fires are caused by people when they clear land with fire for domestic animal grazing, to gather honey, for cannabis cultivation and charcoal production.

Early 2019, raging fires destroyed parts of Mount Kenya National Park and surrounding areas.

This affected almost 20,000 hectares of land and killed wildlife. Some years, very little of the mountain burns, while other years there are large fires. This year over 100 forest fires were reported.

WEATHER The most important factor that affects fire risk is the weather. Under dry, windy conditions a small fire can easily spread and become difficult to extinguish. Failed long rains in 2019 and in the previous three to four agricultural seasons contributed to exacerbating food insecurity in the country.

WOMEN ARE CHANGE AGENTS Women have enormous potential to contribute to environmental conservation.

ITF’s inclusive approach in addressing the root causes of inequalities through involving women creates awareness and promotes long-term beneficial action. As ITF have experienced, conservation efforts are more successful if rural women are positioned as change agents, involved in climate change mitigation and contributing to climate adaptation strategies. Women are the fabric that sustain and hold our households and, by extension, society, together. Gender roles in Kenya put women in direct contact with forests, water, land, and wildlife. They must not only be appreciated as invisible land managers but must benefit from relevant incentives. More women need to be educated on the values, management, and sustainability of forest resources as alternative sources of livelihood.

THE GOOD NEWS On the slopes of Mount Kenya, through the support of ITF and our partners, women groups manage their own tree nurseries, supplying indigenous tree seedlings for forest restoration in degraded areas of the forest, while also providing seedlings for the primary schools where children and teachers are enthusiastically establishing plantations.

Importantly the women also take seedlings home to plant in the increasingly complex agroforestry systems they manage on their own very small farms, integrating trees with crops to produce a remarkable range of products. At the same time they help their neighbours, their country - and the world.

Kenya is also a leader in addressing the climate crisis and was one of the first countries in Africa to enact a comprehensive law and policy to guide national and subnational climate action. We have one of the best climate change legal frameworks: the Climate Change Act (2016) and Policy provide a framework for mainstreaming climate change actions. Kenya is also one of the 53 African countries that have committed to Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to slow down the impact of climate change.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW? We understand that people cannot survive without trees. Our work in reforesting Kenya has three major pillars: forest landscape restoration, agroforestry and involving young environmental stewards.

Reforestation in Kenya is gaining momentum.

We at ITF are ready to put our one-millionth tree in the ground soon, with very impressive survival rates so far. We are also expanding the campaign to many areas in Kenya, with the ambitious target to grow 20 million trees in all.

The message that forest cover must be increased to 10% must reach everyone as deforestation has certainly accelerated climate change.

In addition to contributing to 10% forest cover, we are also currently contributing towards translating the Paris agreement into concrete action, to safeguard development gains and address the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable in Kenya.

Our work is made possible by the efforts of our longstanding local partners Mount Kenya Environmental Conservation, Mount Kenya Trust, and Globe Gone Green.

TREESJOURNAL2019 | 9

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This painting is Acrylic On Wood Panel 130cm by 110cm ‘Wistmans Wood” www.artdkbaxter.com debbiebaxterart@yahoo.co.uk

Wise old trees The Ancient Tree Forum In Sherwood Forest this year gave me fresh new insight into the world of the ancient trees of Britain.

Old trees are responsible

I purposefully went there this

for attracting and protecting

year to paint these beautiful

so many species of insects,

lichen covered dwarf Oaks,

fungi and animals. This fact

the focus of many myths and

has made me understand

legends.

their absolute importance for supporting the well being of

I hope I have captured at least

our environment and future.

some of the magic that I felt while sketching among the

Wisdom then in this case

moss covered boulders.

does equate to old and thank goodness we are valuing our

Debbie Baxter is a ‘Treescape”

old trees.

artist with a keen interest in capturing the magic of our

Wistmans Wood is a 500 year

British Forests and building

old ancient forest nestled into

awareness of the importance

the hills of Dartmoor.

of trees in our everyday lives.

TREESJOURNAL2019 | 11

A Children’s Story about

Richard St. Barbe Baker P r o t e c t o r o f t h e E a r t h a n d Fo u n d e r o f t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l Tr e e Fo u n d a t i o n Fr o m t h e f o r t h c o m i n g c h i l d r e n’s b o o k ‘ L i t t l e C h a m p i o n s o f J u s t i c e’.

FROM when he was just a boy, St. Barbe could tame the wildest of horses. He loved exploring the woods and forests around him on horseback.

One day, St. Barbe took a ride through the woods on a beautiful black stallion. Sitting squarely in the saddle, St. Barbe looked up at the gigantic trees that stretched up above him. The canopy of branches and leaves overhead was so thick that the sunlight barely peeped through to the forest floor below.

As the horse roamed through the woods, more and more sunlight started to filter through the canopy. The dark green leaves gave way to the bright blue sky. In awe of the changing colours above, St. Barbe didn’t notice the changes in the forest below. The stallion, on the other hand, noticed fewer trees in his way and started to pick up his pace.

Suddenly the horse let out a loud ‘Neigh!’ reared his head backwards and galloped ahead.

‘Whoa!’ shouted St. Barbe in surprise. He grabbed the reins with both hands. His hat went flying off his head. ‘Whoa!’ he yelled again, this time yanking the reins. ‘WHOA!’ Finally the horse came to a stop.

St. Barbe climbed off the horse and gently guided it to where his hat had landed. He bent down to pick it up. As he got up, he looked around him and gasped. He could not believe his eyes. Instead of a forest filled with tall and towering trees, he saw an empty field dotted with tree stumps.

There was not a single tree left standing.

‘How can this be?’ he wondered. He started to feel sick in his stomach. He knew that something was wrong.

‘We are chopping down trees faster than we are planting them,’ he thought to himself. ‘We need trees as much as we need oxygen and water. What will happen when there aren’t any trees left on this earth?’

St. Barbe closed his eyes. He remembered when he was five years old, he had wandered alone into a forest and had gotten lost. But, rather than feeling scared, he had felt completely safe.

With all the trees around him, his heart felt full of joy. It was as though the tall trees, with their long branch-like arms, were hugging him, comforting and protecting him until he found his way back home.

St. Barbe opened his eyes once again. He looked around him with a heavy heart. ‘An earth without trees is unthinkable,’ he thought to himself. ‘Trees give us oxygen, fruits, wood, water, and medicines. An earth without trees would destroy our planet. We need trees to live on our earth.’

He took a deep breath, put on his hat and climbed back onto the horse. Placing his hand on his heart, St. Barbe made a promise that day to do everything he could to restore the disappearing forests in the world.

St. Barbe died many years ago, but his promise continues to be kept today. As a result of his vision and efforts, over 26 billion trees have been planted and continue to be planted around the world.

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This book features true stories from the lives of Richard St. Barbe Baker and seven other extraordinary people who, inspired by the teachings of the Baha’i Faith, pursued justice, generosity, and courage — from America to Africa to the Pacific.

‘Little Champions of Justice’ will be published this autumn by First Valley Books. Stay updated via their newsletter: firstvalleybooks.com @firstvalleybooks or Facebook/firstvalleybooks Author: Shirin Taherzadeh Illustrated by Alyssa de Asis

TREESJOURNAL2019 | 13

The first year was quite challenging looking at the complexity of the landscape, the sociopolitical crisis in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon, and the attitude of some community members that tree planting is a “means to deprive them of their land”.

Engaging community members and winning their interest to adhere to the Initiative was not an easy task.

- Asabaimbi Deh Nji, MBI Project Manager, ERuDeF

A number of village-to-village and door-to-door sensitization campaigns were executed in the nine villages and the pastoralist communities in order to gain the interest of community members and their local authorities.

The Mount Bamboutos Initiative, a long term Initiative to conserve and restore the Mount Bamboutos ecosystem and to help communities adopt sustainable agroforestry systems, launched in August 2018 by the Environment and Rural Development Foundation (ERuDeF) has entered its second year of implementation.

This was done in order to raise awareness on the importance of the Initiative to the population as well as on tree planting in relation to their livelihood. Today, the community members and community based organizations across the three regions are playing an increasingly noble role in the success of the Initiative.

A CHALLENGE TO TACKLE: DESTROYED WATER CATCHMENT FOREST

After the sensitization campaigns, 750 farmers (42% women) in nine villages showed interest and were registered for practices of sustainable diversified farming systems including agroforestry, contour farming and terracing.

Today, the capacities of these farmers have been strengthened in nursery establishment and management, agroforestry techniques, contour farming, cultivation/growing of fruit trees and non-timber forest products, and vegetative propagation techniques such as grafting and layering.

Approximately 20% of the farmers are already practicing these activities on their own.

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Volunteering in tree nursery management

The project established twelve central tree nurseries. Twelve community members (4 women) are currently playing a great role in managing the tree nurseries. It is important to note that the best nursery so far with about 15,000 tree seedlings of tree species is managed by a woman in Formenji Bamumbu.

The nursery attendants have devoted their time to cater for and raise tree seedlings for the restoration of degraded areas in the concerned communities. Community members have demonstrated comradery by periodically visiting these nurseries to aid in weeding, filling small bags as well as potting seedlings.

Identification of priority areas for restoration intervention

Tree planting on farms and community lands

Creation of Village Forest Management Committees

Community members including men, women and local authorities, played a significant role in identifying degraded areas in their villages and proposing restoration interventions to be carried out in certain areas. Community members are conscious of the degradation of their land and are taking concrete measures to address the problem.

As part of restoration intervention efforts, community members are highly involved in the planting of native tree species in community lands, water catchment areas, riverine forests, and agroforestry species on-farm. Community members understand that they are the ones to take the lead in tree planting as well as sustaining planted trees.

Nine village forest management committees have been established.

Community members have volunteered to manage community forest lands to be restored, and to monitor and protect trees planted in priority degraded areas. Members received training to build their capacity in forest management.

Creation of the Mount Bamboutos Fons Association

Putting in place regional platforms

Participation of partner community-based organisations

One remarkable step forward is the creation of the Mount Bamboutos Fons’ Association, with the Fons (traditional rulers and kings of the area) pledging unflinching support.

The Fons have unanimously accepted to donate portions of land in their communities for restoration. They have also agreed to set up local rules and regulations for sustainable land use management in their respective villages and the landscape as a whole. These traditional rulers are the primary entry points of the project in their villages. They play an invaluable role in identifying barriers and challenges to land use planning and seek solutions to the address them.

ERuDeF has also put in place regional platforms for dialogue and consultation, and for project monitoring and evaluation. Each platform comprises of representatives of different stakeholder groups such as women, youths, municipal councils, relevant government agencies, Bororo pastoralists, farming groups, traditional authorities, village development associations, village elites, researchers, civil society organisations and economic operators. This platform enables community members and other stakeholders to evaluate the project and contribute ideas based on their learnings, for the ongoing improvement of the Initiative.

ERuDeF has recruited local CBOs in each of the 5 administrative districts in the landscape in an effort to implement the project. These CBOs include; Operation Green Space (OGS) in the Lebialem, Green Impact in Menoua, Community Aid In Development (COMAID) in Mezam, Bamboutos Agroforestry Network in Bamboutos division and Cameroon Traditional Rulers Against Climate Change (CAMTRACC) in Momo division. These CBOs have an effective presence in their respective localities and are geographically closer to community members. They are playing a vital role in building the capacity of the community members and offer technical assistance to the farmers and other stakeholders.

TREESJOURNAL2019 | 15

“I lived in a tree for two years” Nathan MadSen

I’ve always felt a really deep connection with trees and have often turned to them during challenging times. In October 1998, I was 25 and living in Humboldt County, Northern California, USA working on construction jobs while studying at the state university. My safe haven at that time was a grove of giant redwoods in Freshwater Creek Forest, a place I’d return to for periods of peaceful contemplation.

One evening, I noticed these trees had been marked with orange paint. For many years, big timber companies had been devastating local old growth forest and whenever I’d seen trees marked in this way in the past, they’d disappeared within weeks. Activists had been working hard to fight them, with many of them engaged in treesitting to protect the trees. Julia “Butterfly” Hill was at that time part-way through a tree sit that ended up lasting over two years, and that was the inspiration for the action I took.

I was climbing a ladder on a construction job when a friend I worked with called out, “Hey, Nate - I don’t want to bum you out, but they’re going to be cutting that grove today.” At first, I wanted to drive over straight away, but the thought of big men with chainsaws made me hesitate. I decided to wait until after work, in the hope that they’d have left for the day.

Nate Madsen talks with visitors, Teresa Wood, Bob Youden and Joan Norman on his platform.

Credit: forestecologynetwork.org

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I’d previously chosen three trees I particularly wanted to protect. When we arrived that evening, only one of them was still standing. I later called her Mariah - the name my parents would have given me had I been a girl. She was 12 feet in diameter and 200 feet high - even her lowest branches were 80 feet from the ground. Luckily, smaller trees had sprouted off her main trunk at the base and I was able to work my way up using those until I was high enough to scamper across to the main trunk.

I collected broken branches and laid those across to make a rudimentary nest and that’s where I spent the first night.

It felt secure enough for me to sleep on but the night was drizzly and my feet were cold. Before dawn, my friend returned with more food, a 50foot rope, a sleeping bag and a tarp.

The loggers had already arrived. At first, their hostility was aimed at one of their own number “Ah, Joe! You got hippies in your tree again - why is it always you?” But then an argument started over whether he should carry on regardless.

Eventually they settled for cutting a nearby tree so it fell in my direction, coming close enough to for some of its branches to whip through Mariah’s. Down below, the discussion continued.

“Ah, screw it,” I heard a voice say. “I’m cutting it down anyway”. I felt the vibrations travel all the way up Mariah, heard a crack and thought my time was up. But it was all for show - as the buzz of the chainsaw started up again I realised the logger was cutting through the sprout trees at Mariah’s base. When the loggers later called in the local sheriff to issue a trespass order, I was able to tell him they’d removed my only means of climbing down and had, in effect, trapped me.

Things remained pretty heated for a while.

On one occasion, someone drove by in a car and stopped to fire five or six shots off in my direction, another time a visiting friend’s car was smashed up and rolled over a cliff. By then I’d established more permanent living quarters about 160 feet up and was able to take in regular provisions, brought in by an army of helpers and clipped onto my rope. I received guests and a laptop that I used to finalise my degree.

During the winter, logging operations slowed but nature provided its own intimidating episodes. I experienced heavy rain and extreme winds and had to decide whether or not to lash myself to Mariah as I whipped back and forth, 20 feet in either direction. Eventually I built a new platform 40 feet lower down, where things were calmer. As the months passed, I got to watch ravens raise their young in a tree opposite, had my lunch stolen by flying squirrels and saw a family of bears collecting acorns in an oak tree.

When the logging company sent a climber to perform a ‘forcible extraction’, a visiting friend fell and was lucky to escape with her life, so I vowed to go it alone and remain in Mariah until I knew she was safe.

Finally, two years into my occupation, I learned the logging company had filed a paper to stop its harvesting plan. There was an interlude before this closure became official, and I made the most of my last days in Mariah, climbing to her very top to view some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets I’ve ever seen.

For the next few years I planted trees and later jointly acquired a 40 acre virgin forest from Eel River Sawmills, saving it from destruction.

I still drive past Mariah from time to time and occasionally visit. She currently stands by the road with a new bright orange mark; only this time, with new management, she was given a large “L” in a circle to mark as a “Leave Tree”. In theory she ought to be safe now. It’s been 20 years and she’s still standing, knock on wood.

Nathan now sits on a steering committee for The Lost Coast League, which is currently trying to protect an area of mature fir trees called Rainbow Ridge that is under siege. There has been an ongoing struggle to protect and preserve the forests of this region for nearly 40 years now, he has personally been involved in for over 2 decades. The current status of the situation on Rainbow Ridge is both a traumatic loss and a substantial victory.

The original harvest plans entailed approximately 750 acres of never before logged, life-giving forest in total between two plans.

Support Nathan and the Lost Coast League at www.lostcoastleague.org The original version of this article was published by The Guardian, credit to: Nathan Madsen, Chris Broughton and The Guardian UK.

TREESJOURNAL2019 | 17

Forty years in the forest Paul Laird, ITF Campaign Manager, reflects on his 40 years of working with trees

I’ve been working with trees since 1978:

The answers are complex but vital for forest

from conifers in Scotland to oak woods in

conservation and tree planting. People

Dorset, from Rural Afforestation in Kenya

shape, and are shaped by, landscapes over

to Sand Dune Stabilisation in Sudan

history.

and Integrated Rural Development in Ethiopia; Assisted Natural Regeneration in Niger, Dryland Farming in Kenya, and Environmental Education in Cameroon.

Wonderful combinations emerge. But people can also become trapped in longterm negative patterns. In Madagascar (where I’m writing), vast degraded lands

Working on Corporate Social Responsibility

contribute little to biodiversity or human

and Sustainable Supply Chains, I visited

wellbeing. In Britain we love our “naturally”

communities from Brazil to Vietnam.

treeless hills while we struggle to increase

These experiences shaped my interest in the

our tree cover.

interaction of culture and landscapes: how

As Programmes Manager for ITF, I love

people live, and what trees tell us.

working for an organisation with a clear focus on people, trees and nature.

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In the 1980s my wife, Grace Kajuju, was

Foresters today are just about catching up

a pioneer of agroforestry extension in

with the vision he had of earth’s forest cover

Meru, Kenya. It was a new way of working.

when he stepped out of his role as a colonial

Forests had been degraded, but people still

forester and created Watu wa Miti with the

needed forest products. Grace and others

Kikuyu people of Kenya.

worked patiently with women groups to build confidence and skills, establish tree nurseries, plant trees on their farms, and develop mutual support systems protecting against setbacks and supporting small enterprises, a model that continues to be tremendously progressive.

In neighbouring areas of Kenya ITF has found great opportunities for forest restoration alongside densely populated, highly productive agroforestry landscapes.

Grace and I look forward to retiring in Meru and hopefully playing a role in restoring the Imenti Forest near our home: a forest

Our founder Richard St Barbe Baker

we saw destroyed in the 1990s and never

articulated key ideas about forests long

expected to see again, which is now on its

before we all started talking of ecosystem

way to recovery.

services and carbon sequestration.

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AFTER FOUR DECADES IN THE FOREST what have I learned along the way?

Of good intentions •

Our vision when planting trees is often blinkered. In the UK we planted trees as sources of timber to fight the ‘next wars’ against the French or Germans!

•

Foresters are part of the problem.

We’ve had a narrow focus on industrial production, timber extraction, and exotic plantations and we still spread invasive species.

•

Aid agencies in a hurry can undermine local initiatives and capacity.

•

Human impacts on landscapes are shocking. We shelter ourselves in Britain, while quietly exporting our footprint.

•

Continuing impacts are inevitable until peak population, but our current consumerism is not actually ‘essential’ despite what economists and politicians tell us.

20 | TREESJOURNAL2019

Of money and power •

Forests are destroyed worldwide due to desperation and greed, usually supported by poor governance, corruption and/or big business.

•

Big businesses are not driven by Corporate Social Responsibility: ‘long-term sustainability strategies’ can disappear overnight.

•

We need economic development alongside intensive conservation.

Instead, often, we find degraded lands that serve neither.

• This is not an argument for the corporatisation of smallholder farming. Intensive production with low external inputs is a reality, often with agroforestry.

of forests AND PEOPLE

of right trees and places

•

•

Our understanding has hugely increased.

As a young man I knew nothing about climate change. We are only beginning to learn about the ‘secret life of trees’.

•

Now we know that nature has given us a perfect technology to combat climate change – but trees are not just sticks of carbon. The new urgency to plant trees could lead to old mistakes – and lots more Eucalyptus and Pine.

•

It never makes sense to plant a tree ‘to sequester carbon’. There are always more important local reasons for the right tree in the right place.

•

Local communities must be involved in forest restoration, especially when they are involved in the destruction. There may be places in the world where you can plant trees (e.g. with drones) and protect forests without involving local communities – but I don’t know them.

It is inherently difficult to support progress against the tide of destruction without undermining local self-reliance.

But it is possible. Farmer managed natural regeneration in the Sahel is a great example.

• Agroforestry has huge benefits and potential. Agroforestry systems benefit from research but are usually the creation of local cultures with complex favourable factors. Crop varieties can be developed in research stations and exported worldwide.

Complex agroforestry cultures – not.

- Paul Laird

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PARTNER UPDATES updates from our partners in africa whose community organisations promote community-based forestry and thereby do their part to strengthen civil society.

ALPHA WOMEN EMPOWERMENT INIATIVE, UGANDA “Tree planting is a move to sustain the environment on the slopes of mountain Rwenzori. We supported women with grafted mango seedlings for planting to help in modifying the environment, increase food production, prevent poverty and reduce deforestation.”

COMAID, Cameroon “COMAID’s partnership with ITF has supported the communities of Dom and Nkor in Noni subdivision, Cameroon to plant over 55,000 trees in different kinds of land uses. These actions created a unique opportunity for women to have more access and security over land in a patriarchy society with the planting of high economic value trees in different adaptive agroforestry models.

COMAID is actively involving local communities at all level in ecological restoration strategies in sustainable climate change mitigation actions.”

EDENA, madagascar “We planted seedlings of fastgrowing indigenous species in reforestation sites in two villages. It was the first project of this sort in the region, and as such it helped to raise awareness and interest in the local community and the local authorities on the importance of protecting the remaining natural forest. As well as that, women participated in the project: a very important and innovative step to involve them in community life and environmental protection.”

Save a seed for the future SAFE, uganda

Ny Tanitsika, madagascar “It’s proven: agroforestry can restore severely degraded land. Let’s face up to the effects of climate change and let’s pull together to promote agroforestry.”

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“The support from ITF has enabled us to reach 5,437 pupils and 857 adults in Amuria district, Uganda with the message of tree planting. In the process, we have planted 9,200 timber trees in 10 school woodlots. Our aim is to plant at least 22,350 fruit, timber and fodder trees in seven schools by June 2020.”

beautiful tree photography competition After many entires from around the globe, the winner of the ITF ‘Beautiful Tree' photography competition 2019 is... Lindsey Lugsch-Tehle, USA!

1ST PLACE

2nd place PHILIPPE MANET, MADAGASCAR “This is a photo of a Terminalia mantaly tree I planted in 2002. In spring in Madagascar, the mantaly trees sprout young golden green leaves.”

3Rd place

ODULLA JONATHAN, 9, UGANDA “l love this medicinal tree because it can cure 40 different types of diseases.”

"This is a self-portrait of myself in awe of the towering redwoods. Being with these grand trees is a spiritual experience, one I believe this photo illustrates."

Thanks to everyone who entered! A gallery of entires and winners can be found on the ITF website.

TREESJOURNAL2019 | 23

I want you to act as you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if the house is on fire, because it is.

- Greta Thunberg, climate activist, age 16.

How to get involved Take the Tree Pledge

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there are so many fun ways to help Big give double donation week

3rd – 10th December 2019 Leave a Legacy

help future generations inherit forests and woodlands

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