What kind of world will our children have to deal with in the future? The World Bank recently released their report on climate change titled, “Turn Down the Heat”, which suggests that unless human beings take action to reduce their impact on Mother Earth, the world is likely to be warmer by more than 4°C (7.2°F) in the next hundred years. This will not be the end. Further warming of over 6°C (10.8°F) will follow in the centuries to come. This warmer world will be radically different from ours. The heat waves of today, such as the 2010 heat wave that struck Russia killing 55,000 people and destroying 25% of their harvest, will be the new norm. Extreme weather patterns which cause dry areas to get drier and wet areas wetter, will proliferate. Rising sea levels could put a hundred million people at risk of coastal flooding every year. Perhaps worst of all, within forty years, global warming could leave us with less food per person. This book is a call to action. Sadhguru, the founder of Isha Foundation and the massive environmental movement Project GreenHands, outlines the role that individuals, corporates and governments can play in controlling and reversing ecological degradation. Making it clear that “when it comes to ecological work, it is not somebody’s work, it is everybody’s work,” Sadhguru links the responsibilities of people, business and governance to address the problem with both short-term action as well as long-term vision.
My name is growing all the time, and I’ve lived a very long, long time; so my name is like a story. Real names tell you the story of the things they belong to in my language, in the Old Entish as you might say. It is a lovely language, but it takes a very long time to say anything in it, because we do not say anything in it, unless it is worth taking a long time to say, and to listen to.
The Global Tree Lovers and the Global Tree Network, together with Music of the Plants, will join forces on May 14-15, 2022 in a Global Tree Orienting Weekend (GTOW) to strengthen the alliance between trees and humanity. On that weekend, people all over the world will go out to their local parks, forests and neighborhoods to consciously and intentionally support the tree world by orienting trees using Damanhur tree orienting devices.
We intend that this effort will send a renewed and reinvigorated message to tree beings that humanity is actively working toward recreating a balance between humans and the Plant Kingdom. We intend that this project will boost creating a new level of consciousness in trees which in turn will assist humanity to create peace, respect and harmony between people and the natural world.
The goals of Global Tree Orienting Weekend
To raise the frequency of the tree beings and humanity
To expand healing, respect and harmony between trees and people
To raise and expand the consciousness of humanity’s relationship with trees
To recognize the reciprocal relationship between trees and people beyond O2/CO2 exchange
To recognize that trees are intelligent and sentient beings
To help to restore the original blueprint of the planet of harmony between the three Motherworlds: Plant world, Humanity and the Nature Spirits
To increase complexity in the relationship between humans and nature
To affirm the frequency of Pan with conscious action
To assist in the separation of the planes for a healthy, peaceful future of our beloved planet
To offer Vajne and all other tree lovers a project to work together to uplift our relationship with the natural world
To increase the number of trees oriented in the GTN
How Tree Orienting Works
Trees are oriented using a specially designed pendulum developed in Damanhur, a spiritual eco community in northern Italy. The process is easy; simply connect to a tree using your senses and circle the tree three times. The pendulum is programed to orient a tree to the existing global network.
To know more about it see our article: Tree orientation: the world’s biggest magic operation with nature.
You can organize an event by yourself at your place. To get information and the registration form contact Mary mg@rockisland.com at Global Tree Lovers.
If Holly (Ilex aquifolium) finds its leaves are being nibbled by deer, it switches genes on to make them spiky when they regrow. So on taller Holly trees, the upper leaves (which are out of reach) have smooth edges, while the lower leaves are prickly
With shiny evergreen leaves and bright red berries, holly trees are a naturally festive decoration seen throughout the Christmas season.
They’re famously sharp. But not all holly leaves are prickly, even on the same tree. And scientists now think they know how the plants are able to make sharper leaves, seemingly at will.
A new study published in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society suggests leaf variations on a single tree are the combined result of animals browsing on them and the trees’ swift molecular response to that sort of environmental pressure.
Carlos Herrera of the National Research Council of Spain led the study in southeastern Spain. He and his team investigated the European holly tree, Ilex aquifolium. Hollies, like other plants, can make different types of leaves at the same time. This is called heterophylly. Out of the 40 holly trees they studied, 39 trees displayed different kinds of leaves, both prickly and smooth.
Some trees looked like they had been browsed upon by wild goats and deer. On those trees, the lower 8 feet (2.5 meters) had more prickly leaves, while higher up the leaves tended to be smooth. Scientists wanted to figure out how the holly trees could make the change in leaf shape so quickly.
All of the leaves on a tree are genetic twins and share exactly the same DNA sequence. By looking in the DNA for traces of a chemical process called methylation, which modifies DNA but doesn’t alter the organism’s genetic sequence, the team could determine whether leaf variation was a response to environmental or genetic changes. They found a relationship between recent browsing by animals, the growth of prickly leaves, and methylation.
“In holly, what we found is that the DNA of prickly leaves was significantly less methylated than prickless leaves, and from this we inferred that methylation changes are ultimately responsible for leaf shape changes,” Herrera said. “The novelty of our study is that we show that these well-known changes in leaf type are associated with differences in DNA methylation patterns, that is, epigenetic changes that do not depend on variation in the sequence of DNA.”
“Heterophylly is an obvious feature of a well-known species, and this has been ascribed to browsing. However, until now, no one has been able to come up with a mechanism for how this occurs,” said Mike Fay, chief editor of the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society and head of genetics at the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. “With this new study, we are now one major step forward towards understanding how.”
Epigenetic changes take place independently of variation in the genetic DNA sequence.
“This has clear and important implications for plant conservation,” Herrera said. In natural populations that have their genetic variation depleted by habitat loss, the ability to respond quickly, without waiting for slower DNA changes, could help organisms survive accelerated environmental change. The plants’ adaptability, he says, is an “optimistic note” amidst so many conservation concerns. (Related: “Wild Holly, Mistletoe, Spread With Warmer Winters.”)
Charles’ Jubilee treebute: In honour of his mother, the Prince awards a special status to 70 of Britain’s most significant trees – including a 423-year-old sycamore and an apple tree reputed to have helped Isaac Newton develop the theory of gravity. Also a churchyard yew in the Cotswolds whose vast trunk is said to have inspired J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord Of The Rings writingsas well as Sussex’s Five Hundred Acre Wood, the inspiration for 100 Acre Wood in the Children’s classic Winnie the Pooh.
The Prince of Wales launched the campaign to honour the trees, one for every year of his mother’s reign, with a video message recorded in front of a 423-year-old sycamore at Dumfries House in Ayrshire.
He says: ‘Planted in 1599, during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James VI, it is remarkable that this ancient tree is as old as Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Caravaggio’s David And Goliath… Trees and woodlands have a profound significance for us all – their steadfast and reassuring presence a reminder of our long-serving Sovereign and her enduring dedication.’
He said: “I believe it is absolutely vital that we do our utmost to nurture our historic inheritance through careful management and, in the case of the woodlands, that we can expand them and link them to other natural features like our hedgerows.
“And if we are to create the ‘ancient’ trees of the future, we must plant more trees in hedgerows, fields, churchyards and avenues.
“Furthermore, I would suggest that some of those planted should be propagated from today’s ancient trees, thus helping to preserve their unique provenance and heritage.”
The prince added: “These working woodlands and magnificent trees span our nation’s amazing landscape and exist for everyone to enjoy.
“At the same time, they support biodiversity, and help to provide us with the most versatile and beautiful of materials for our craftsmen and women.”
“But we need to replenish these precious, dwindling assets for future generations and for our depleted landscapes and townscapes.”
The project will also recognise 70 ancient woodlands and forms part of the Queen’s Green Canopy project to plant and preserve trees. In her seven decades on the throne, Her Majesty has planted more than 1,500 trees around the world.
The tree is a running motif of the jubilee celebrations, with more than a million people having ‘planted a tree for the jubilee’ this year. And a giant tree-like structure will be installed outside Buckingham Palace over the summer. It will be made up of 350 young trees in pots, which will be planted across the UK once the installation is dismantled.
Other trees chosen for the special conservation status include the impressive National Champion silver fir in Argyll, known as The Monster and believed to be the largest in the UK; the Royal Oak at Boscobel House, Shropshire, which is a descendant of the tree in which the future Charles II hid to escape Parliamentarian forces; and a huge yew in Much Marcle, Herefordshire, which is so vast that a bench has been constructed within its trunk.
Darren Moorcroft, chief executive of the Woodland Trust, said: ‘Ancient woods and trees are jewels in the UK’s landscape.
‘The Woodland Trust is delighted the Queen’s Green Canopy is highlighting the need to protect these treasures in our natural heritage.’
In Wales, the Wyesham Oak can be seen on a road bearing its name, Oak Crescent, where residents past and present take pride in their connection to the 1,000-year-old tree which has stood the test of time and development.
And in Northern Ireland, QGC ambassador Lady Mary Peters, former Olympic athlete and advocate for older people to exercise more, has used Hazelbank Park on the shores of Belfast Lough as a location to gather walkers to promote how outdoor spaces are vital for health and wellbeing.
References ~ News stories from the Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail, Sky News.
A 70ft living sculpture made from 350 British native species to stand outside Buckingham Palace as a centrepiece for London’s historic celebrations
An artist’s impression shows how the 70ft structure, made up of small trees in aluminium pots ‘sprouting’ from timber-plank branches, will tower over the palace gates during the four-day bank holiday weekend in June.
It will form a centrepiece of celebrations at the palace, which will include a live pop concert to be held in front of 10,000 people.
The sculpture was announced on Friday which was Earth Day, with the Prince of Wales also marking the occasion with an environmental project for children.
The ‘Tree of Trees’ sculpture, created by British designer Thomas Heatherwick, reflects the planting of more than a million Jubilee trees as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC).
The initiative, which spans two official tree-planting seasons, has already seen thousands of people planting Jubilee saplings across the UK to create a canopy of green in tribute to the monarch’s 70 years of service to the nation.
The trees that make up the sculpture will be gifted to community groups and organisations at the start of the next planting season in October.
Royal tree-planting has long been a staple duty for the Windsors and is usually used to commemorate official visits.
During her reign, the Queen has planted more than 1,500 trees across the world.
Mr Heatherwick, whose past designs include London’s Coal Drops Yard and office buildings for Google, said it was an ‘honour’ to work on the project.
He said: ‘The structure, created from 350 British native trees and recycled steel, is coming together from workshops and nurseries across the country as one part of an incredible community campaign that’s literally changing the landscape of our nation.’
The Canopy Project improves our shared environment by planting trees across the globe. Since 2010, EARTHDAY.ORG™ has planted tens of millions of trees with The Canopy Project, working worldwide to strengthen communities.
EARTHDAY.ORG works with global partners to reforest areas in dire need of rehabilitation, including areas with some of the world’s communities most at-risk from climate change and environmental degradation. We have also conducted broad tree planting in the wake of environmental disasters.
REFORESTATION MAP
Since the beginning of the 20th century, the world’s forests have lost about 20% of their coverage. According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, about 7.3 million hectares (18 million acres) of forest are lost every year, and roughly half of Earth’s tropical forests have already been cleared.
EARTHDAY.ORG recognizes that planting billions of trees across the world is one of the biggest and cheapest ways of taking CO2 out of the atmosphere to tackle the climate crisis. Not only do forests act as carbon sinks, but they also provide vital habitat for animals and ecological services for humans, such as purifying the air we breathe and regulating local temperatures.
Responsible reforestation programmes can stabilize land from erosion or natural disasters, improve soil health and groundwater recharge, promote native and endemic fauna, and provide economic development for nearby communities.
EARTHDAY.ORG understands that reforestation is one of the most important and accessible ways that people can contribute to solving the challenges of climate change and is committed to continuing The Canopy Project and investing in responsible reforestation programmes internationally.
Our planting locations are selected to have a direct and positive impact on areas affected by climate change. We work hard to ensure our programs also benefit the people and communities who live near the new trees, and often plant tree species that produce fruit, nuts, or other resources that help people.
Our projects typically include the growing of saplings in nurseries for 6-12 months before planting, as well as pruning and maintenance of trees for the first couple of years of their lives. This helps us maximize the number of trees that survive to maturity. In most cases, nursery and maintenance staff are local workers who gain valuable skills that help them serve as responsible stewards of the restored habitat.
EARTHDAY.ORG will also partner with technical organizations and government agencies near planting sites to provide forestry and maintenance training to local workers, allowing them to gain valuable skills to continue reforestation projects
Casting seeds on the ground without a plan for growing and nurturing the trees over time is a practice that may be inexpensive but has been shown to yield low tree survival rates and is viewed as environmentally and socially less effective by EARTHDAY.ORG. Instead, we work closely with on-the-ground community groups that are trained and committed to nurturing these trees to maturation for life spans that often reach 100 years or more.
Like people, trees are subject to diseases and threatened by poor planting methods and changing climate conditions. These challenges must be anticipated in order to ensure maximum survival of healthy trees.
EARTHDAY.ORG has planted trees for nearly 20 years, with plantings located on every continent except Antarctica. Currently, our planting locations are focused in the Mt. Elgon region of Uganda, foothills of the Himalayas in India, forests near Sierra Gorda in Mexico, and a recent project now underway in Madagascar.
We are always on the lookout for planting locations and partners who are committed to responsible reforestation programmes.
With so many areas of the world in need of reforestation, EARTHDAY.ORG has to consider many factors when selecting a single location for plantings. After a thorough investigation to ensure that on-the-ground planters can report accurately on projects, we consider the following factors:
Urgency to protect biodiversity Threats to the location from climate change or environmental disasters Development of the local community Cost-effectiveness and accessibility
On top of these factors, we must consider the long-term impacts of reforestation at our locations. We try our best to support and grow our planting projects over multiple years, and rely on trained staff to continue stewarding reforested land and to look for new projects in the area that would conserve biodiversity and uplift communities.
Tree planting costs vary by location with planting in developed countries such as the U.S. typically more expensive. For The Canopy Project, EARTHDAY.ORG can often plant one tree for as little as $1, while in some areas those costs can be significantly higher. Donations directly covers the purchase of materials, time spent growing in nurseries, long-term maintenance, as well as the operating costs that allow us to carry out and expand our programmes.
Our projects are not certified for any current carbon market. While our primary reforestation focus is empowering local communities and restoring habitat, every tree planted becomes an important part of our greater quest to mitigate climate change. Once a tree reaches maturity, we use the universally accepted standard of 48 pounds of carbon dioxide sequestered per tree per year to estimate the amount of carbon The Canopy Project has removed from the atmosphere.
Can my company plant trees with EARTHDAY.ORG?
Of course! Tree planting is a critical activity that can help businesses achieve their SDGs and contributes to your corporate responsibility and sustainable leadership. And it’s a good thing to do!
If you are representing a company interested in planting trees with EARTHDAY.ORG, or wish to work on a special project with us, please email sponsorship@earthday.org
I’m in the process of moving from living on a narrowboat to bricks and mortar. My blog posts will resume more fully after this transition. Thank you for your patience.
Tree Weaver 