TreesCO2 Fundraiser
for The Swan River First Nations Reserve “Ecological Reconciliation Planting Project”
TreesCO2 was founded in 2016 by Canadian youth to inspire the world to plant trees through action and education. In 2019, TreesCO2 issued a call to action at the UN Climate Summit Weekend Meetings and UN Youth Climate Action Summit to plant 1,000 trees for every global youth. To support this call to action, for Earth Day 2021, TreesCO2 partnered with Project Forest with a goal to raise $5,000 for the Swan River First Nations Reserve “Ecological Reconciliation Planting Project”. TreesCO2 is excited to report that we exceed our goal by 150%. Project Forest is a non-profit Canadian organization with a goal of creating forests on Canada's landscapes and capturing carbon naturally through planting tree seedlings. This project is expected to receive matched funding under the Canadian Government’s 2 Billion Tree Program. Subject to final government project approval, every sponsor dollar will be matched with a federal government dollar to help create this forest! To start, the Swan River Project will plant approximately 56,000 seedlings on 40 ha of marginal hay land within Swan River First Nations’ Reserve (SRFN) land. The objective is to restore a forest and forest habitat on a previously cleared piece of non-productive agriculture land. These sacred lands had been forested for generations.
Once these lands are restored, this new forest will create habitat and will be recognized as bringing “ecological reconciliation” to the disturbed land within SRFN. This work will not only provide equal resource teaching that combine both Indigenous and Western engagement within the community of SRFN, but it will also more importantly provide opportunities for SRFN's people to practice traditional ceremonies and medicine gathering that will help re- establish their connections with Mother Earth. By creating and utilizing traditional foods and medicines the SRFN people will be able to continue to live off their lands and pass on the knowledge of their elders to their youth to follow in their sacred footsteps of healing and knowledge.
It is anticipated that approximately 47,480 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide will be sequestered once the trees reach maturity (based on a life cycle of 150 years). This will help contribute to Canada's 2030 Paris Agreement greenhouse gases emissions reduction target. The SRFN site borders the Swan River which is an important riparian corridor for animal travel. Through afforesting this site, animal habitat and landscape connectivity for wildlife will improve. Foresting the area will also bring improvements in water quality through reducing soil erosion and sedimentation into the Swan River which is adjacent to the currently cleared hay land. This project, will create a better quality of life for the community members of SRFN, re-establishing the landscape to live life off the lands that their ancestors cherished.
On behalf of TreesCO2 and Project Forest we greatly appreciate all of your support. We would be grateful if you wish to share this fundraiser with any of your contacts. Lastly, please reach out with any questions!
Thanks a forest!