The climate crisis is the challenge of our age and planting trees is part of the solution

Extensive, beautiful and healthy forests define Canada, which make up 38 percent of our land, but are under attack. Wildfires engulf large tracts of forest in British Columbia; smoke from similar hells in northwestern Ontario reaches as far as Windsor, Toronto, and Ottawa. We know what is contributing to these disasters: climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – Sixth evaluation report, released Aug. 9, leaves no room for debate as to why the Earth is warming, but it does leave some hope: we can still restore Earth to health.

Shortly after that report appeared, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau launched a federal election. The climate crisis was one of the main topics in many surveys..

Study on study He has told us that we can cool the planet through a very Canadian activity: planting trees.

Our forests solve many problems. Record high temperatures have prompted heat warnings in Montreal; trees provide shade and cool neighborhoods by 5 ° C. When we plant trees, we transform abandoned land into healthy forests. Trees absorb water, which helps prevent flooding. Forests filter and purify the water we drink. And, of course, forests sequester the carbon that we have released into the atmosphere and that is dangerously heating our Earth.

The organizations that I lead, Forest Recovery Canada and Forests Ontario, know how to cultivate new forests. With our partners, we have planted almost as many trees as Canadians, more than 36 million trees so far.

A recent study from Natural Resources Canada shows that over 50 years, the trees we have planted will remove about 2.24 megatons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Together, the trees will sequester the equivalent of the carbon emitted by a million cars driving from Montreal to Vancouver, and vice versa.

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The same study notes: “If Canada wants forested areas to contribute to net zero emissions targets by 2050, additional tree planting initiatives must begin as soon as possible.”

Canadians are good at planting trees. Ours is a rare organization that works with many partners to fully integrate all components of tree planting, from collecting seeds to monitoring the health of newly planted forests. Dedicated seed collectors select and collect the best seeds from native trees. Those seeds are cared for by nurseries throughout Ontario for at least two years as they grow into seedlings.

Only then can the seedlings be lifted and transferred to a tree planter. The site is evaluated and a plan is created to ensure the right trees are planted in the right place. Our detailed monitoring ensures that the seedling is planted in a similar growing area from which the seed was collected. The Natural Resources Canada study also found that more than 83 percent of the trees we plant in Ontario are thriving. We monitor the success of every site we plant.

Our many partners from multiple industries are a critical part of this complex process. We work with more than 90 partners, including First Nations, private owners, forestry consultants, nurseries, seed collectors, conservation authorities, non-profit organizations, governments, and the business sector. Our 50 million tree program is estimated to support more than 300 full-time seasonal jobs. Our nationwide network enables us to support Canada’s forests and plant millions of trees each year.

As climate change continues to affect our forests, the experience and enduring partnerships of organizations like ours are crucial. We monitor the results and, building on the successes and failures of young forests as they grow, we make sure to adapt our planting projects to ensure that healthy forests cool our planet for many years to come. If you have land with room to plant trees, give us a call.

Climate change is the challenge of our age and forests are part of the solution. As a nation, we have the ability to get the job done. We also have the land. Growing healthy forests that help us mitigate the effects of climate change in Canada requires skill, experience and long-term political commitment. We, like many Canadians, hope to ensure that Canada remains a world leader in growing healthy and diverse forests in the future.

Rob Keen is a registered professional forester and currently leads the Forests Ontario team in maintaining and generating new partnerships to support and achieve his greening mandate.