“Reforestation has become the new best friend of companies seeking to burnish their sustainability profiles, but follow-on studies are beginning to demonstrate that an effective tree planting initiative is more complicated than it may seem. The Tazo Tea Company seeks to avoid the pitfalls and make a strong impact, through a carefully targeted plan that could become a roadmap for others to follow.
Reforestation is more complicated than it may seem
Part of the allure of tree planting has to do with the raw numbers. Editors and reporters find it hard to resist stories with millions or even trillions in the headline. An ambitious reforestation initiative with big numbers has a good chance of grabbing the media spotlight.
In addition, it is clear that a properly managed tree planting program can make a significant contribution to carbon management on a global scale. Carbon capture and sequestration are the initial goals, and forest management can also be deployed for biofuel production.
The main problem is that large-scale reforestation (or afforestation) projects require large tracts of land. If plans move forward without considering the effects on local communities and existing habitats, the damage done can outweigh any good press from a corporate tree planting initiative.
The Tazo Tree Corps Initiative
The potential for beneficial community impact comes into sharper focus in the area of urban tree planting, where the scale at first appears small but the contours of a more holistic approach are more clearly defined.
Urban forestry has not been commanding the news cycle of late, as the climate crisis has often focused attention on reforestation on a grander scale. Nevertheless, the community benefits of urban trees are well known, and Tazo’s new Tree Corps initiative brings a strong element of racial justice into the fold.
‘Due to a history of racist housing practices, predominantly BIPOC communities have 20 percent fewer trees on average than white communities,’ Tazo explained. ‘That’s why we’re teaming up with American Forests to launch the Tazo Tree Corps, a paid tree planting workforce led by The Davey Tree Expert Company that’ll help reforest BIPOC communities in five major cities.’
Holistic reforestation puts community first
Whether a corporate reforestation initiative is urban, rural, or somewhere in between, the main takeaway from the Tazo Tree Corps is to put the program in the hands of experts.
By teaming up with American Forests, Tazo draws on the experience of the organization’s director of career pathways, Sarah Lillie Anderson, who has a firm background in urban forestry programs that focus on racial justice and community engagement.
Anderson emphasizes that the foundational aspects of urban forestry are already well in hand. Using the available tools in holistic ways is the key.
‘Effective tree programs use best practices to inform their work. Starting with the U.S. Forest Service’s Urban Forestry Toolkit and Community Assessment and Goal-Setting Tool, programs across the country can measure how well their programs are running and work towards continuously improving their programs,’ Anderson said.
The Forest Service toolkit is a soup-to-nuts guidebook that covers local regulations, financial issues and training in addition to the actual planting and nurturing of trees.
American Forests has also developed an additional tool that calculates a ‘Tree Equity Score,’ meaning the extent to which the existing trees in a community provide the benefits expected of a healthy tree canopy. Defining a need in numbers can provide effective leverage in gathering community support and lobbying local officials.
An environmental and economic opportunity
At first glance, forestry would seem an unlikely career path for city dwellers. However, as the urban tree movement grows and acquires more funding, so will opportunities for full time employment.
Anderson cites the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which calculates a 10 percent increase in job openings for entry level positions related to reforestation efforts over the next five or so years, many involving hands-on work in planting, trimming and pruning. Hence these jobs not only can provide a steady income, but also help strengthen communities.
Anderson observed, ‘Through countless work and volunteer experiences stewarding parks, trees, gardens, and other nature in cities, my belief that every person deserves to feel that who they are, where they live and what they contribute to society is valued was cemented.’”
View the whole story here: https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/tazo-reforestation-cities/719431