Sometimes it feels like the problem of climate change is so large that there’s nothing a single person can do. But Paul Trianosky, chief conservation officer with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, disagrees.

Trianosky: “You know, everyone can plant a tree.”

In fact, last year SFI volunteers planted more than 200,000 trees in just one hour – setting a Guinness world record. That’s impressive, but every tree is important.

Trianosky: “The trees that are planted in people’s yards, the trees that constitute what we think of as the urban forest, all of those trees have a role to play in capturing carbon.”

Trianosky says it is easier to plant a tree if you live in the country, but people who live in cities can get involved through urban forestry programs.

Trianosky: “And those programs could be a great way to engage in urban tree planting.”

And to plant a tree that has the best chance to grow big and strong, Trianosky has some advice:

Trianosky: “The best thing you can do is try to search for trees that are native to the area in which you live, because those trees have shown through thousands of years of evolution that they are really, really well suited to that particular place.”

And more healthy trees mean a healthier environment.

Reporting credit: Peter Bresnan/ChavoBart Digital Media.

Photo courtesy of Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc.

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