There are a lot of tree planting initiatives emerging across the globe, often hallowed for their ambitious nature. But how feasible are these causes and what issues may emerge when reforesting at such a scale?

Tree planting initiatives have gained traction in recent years as environmental issues have come into the fore of public consciousness. In 2019, Jimmy Donaldson, a YouTube philanthropist by the online pseudonym of MrBeast, raised over $20 million to plant a goal of 20 million trees “no later than 2022”, in a campaign known by its hashtag #TEAMTREES. In that same year, Ethiopia claimed to have planted four billion trees in just three months, including 350 million seedlings in a single day. As admirable as these efforts were, how can we tell if they are legitimate? And is it enough to redress the impacts of wide-scale deforestation?

The figures available on the #TEAMTREES website suggest that, since the campaign’s launch, more than 9 million trees have been planted. Whether the project is on track to meet its target of 20 million trees by 2022 remains uncertain. In Ethiopia, planting figures, supplied by its government, indicate that around 3.5 billion trees were planted from June to August, while a further 1.3 billion seedlings were grown but not planted in situ. However, there is little objective evidence to show planting took place on this scale. Both projects cultivated an unprecedented public and political interest in re-greening the landscape, and illustrated the significant manpower required for such a campaign.

On the surface, planting trees offers a simple, if not exhaustive, answer to the climate crisis. There is a beautiful synchronicity to our relationship with trees: we release carbon dioxide and plants recycle it by way of photosynthesis, producing oxygen for cleaner air. According to the Wildlife Trusts, six trees will absorb and store about a tonne of carbon dioxide over their lifetimes- that’s enough to power an electric car for one year! Planting trees can also help to mitigate flood risks and protect against soil erosion, as well as giving shelter to a host of wildlife. Trees provide an important food source for animals: in Spring, tree blossoms are a pollinator’s delight, while a bumper cache of nuts in autumn will keep many critters going over the bleak winter months. For people, living in greener spaces has been linked to better mental health and lower mortality of all causes, making their development an important public health tool. In cities, trees can even mitigate the urban heat island effect by providing shade and reflecting sunlight.

Whilst global deforestation rates have slowed, forest cover has declined by an estimated 420 million hectares since 1990- equivalent to roughly two thirds of the Amazon rainforest! Further, habitat loss, such as that caused by deforestation, has been identified as one of the main threats to 85% of all IUCN Red Listed species. Land restoration efforts, including reforesting, can help to redress what has become a global biodiversity crisis. However, critics of major tree planting initiatives say that we risk losing sight of more pressing issues and that valuable, grassy ecosystems are being destroyed to make way for tree plantations. People have come to value trees as monolithic entities, rather than part of a wider ecosystem. The simple fact of the matter is that not all trees are created equal, and not all green spaces are ecologically productive ones. What trees are planted and where is paramount to the success of these projects. Chris Packham recently spoke out against Scotland’s plan to plant millions of non-native Sitka spruce, which he claimed would result in swathes of “cheap upland” being cleared for trees that would likely be cut down for their timber within a few years. He may not be far off, as researchers have found that 45 percent of new forests globally were monocultures, planted from a single species of tree. These plantations, often intended for harvest, take up little carbon and harbour poor, even decreasing, biodiversity. The homogeneous nature of these forests, also known as afforestation, may unfortunately also create social consequences. For example, forced resettlement is a very real concern for communities in countries where governments have invested in reforesting efforts. Furthermore, not all land has sufficient water availability to support tree growth and, if the ecological demand for water is greater than the capacity of ecosystems to deliver it sustainably, social needs may be compromised. In such instances, tree planting projects can exacerbate water use conflicts and scarcity.

Despite concerns about industrial-scale tree plantations, with due consideration for existing biodiversity and the communities involved, forestation projects remain extremely valuable for transforming the local environment. For example, the Forest for Peterborough (F4P) initiative was developed in 2010 with the view of planting a tree for every person who lived there by 2030. As of 2021, F4P is well on the way to meeting its goal and the project has united many local businesses through volunteer tree planting days, encouraging companies to ‘give back’ to the city and, in turn, improve residents’ standard of living. On a grassroots level, there are a number of charities and associations that offer small grants to community-led projects. Among them is the International Tree Foundation which, in 2019, announced the UK Community Tree Planting Programme. This programme was designed to support local initiatives to plant trees, conserve, restore and protect native woodlands, boost community engagement, and foster social inclusion. The Woodland Trust also offers free trees to schools and communities wanting to get involved, with various packs to choose from including hedge, copse, wild wood and urban trees.

If you choose to plant independently, here is a little catch-all advice. You want to be careful planting near a house or other structures: as a general rule of thumb, plant at roughly the distance of a mature tree’s height. This is because the root systems of larger trees, such as oak and willow, can damage drains and building foundations. For minimum disturbance, plant trees during the cooler months between November and March while their roots are dormant. Seedlings of around 60-90cm (a ‘whip’) will produce the fastest growth rate. Once you have your seedlings, the planting process is easy: simply soak the roots in a bucket of water for a couple of hours and, in the meantime, dig a hole at least twice the width of the root ball. Then place your seedling in the hole and pack it with dirt, ensuring the soil mark on its stem lines up as closely as possible with the soil it is buried in. Check the firmness of the soil and remember that spindly or taller saplings will need a stake for support, which can be removed after three years of growth.

While there is reason to be cautious of massive tree planting schemes, at the community level they can have major social, ecological, and economic benefits. To get involved, check if there are any active projects in your area or even start your own!

Olivia Pilmore-Bedford

Olivia is an MRes Wildlife Conservation graduate from the UK. To date, her research has focused largely on primate social behaviour and responses to anthropogenic disturbance, for which she conducted field studies in Madagascar and Kenya. She is currently working as Communications Officer with the Borneo Nature Foundation, campaigning to protect some of the planet's most valuable rainforests and their critically-endangered Orangutan inhabitants.

You can find Olivia on Twitter @oliviap_b and on her science blog https://oliviawildlife.wordpress.com/.

Community Tree Planting Initiatives: Getting to the Root of the Problem?

There are a lot of tree planting initiatives emerging across the globe, often hallowed for their ambitious nature. But how feasible are these causes and what issues may emerge when reforesting at such a scale?

Olivia Pilmore-Bedford