Washington (GGM) Analysis | April 13, 2020
by Noreen Wise
“It’s the little things citizens do. That’s what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees” – Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, founder of the Green Belt Movement
The Trillion Tree Campaign was announced in January at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos 2020.* This bold initiative grew from the Billion Tree Campaign launched in 2006 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). This bold vision which will hopefully motivate all nations around the world to participate, has already inspired 193 countries into action, planting 13.6 billion trees. Amazing results, but we’re still an incredibly long way off target.
So, let’s ramp it up. The brilliant concept of choosing fruit trees for public spaces, as well as private property that serves large groups of people, is significant. Recommended locations:
- parks
- school yards
- playgrounds
- library grounds
- university campuses
- churchyards
- corporate campuses
Different types of fruit trees thrive in different regions of the country. It’s wonderful to see families stop and pick wild raspberries on the trails in my town. Here are a few that grow well in the East Coast, South & West Coast Regions:
- apple
- pear
- peach
- avocado
- grapes
- black berries
- raspberries
According to the World Economic Forum video above, there are a number of cities who have jumped in with the dual purpose fruit tree initiative Not only do these trees cut carbon, they also curb hunger through healthy, nutritional means. When one solution can address two of the world’s most dire conditions, you know this is money and action well spent.
- Copenhagen decided to plant fruit trees on city streets since so many residents no longer have gardens.
- Ottawa, Canada is planting fruit and nut trees on public land to supply their food banks.
- In the US, grabbing a bite to eat off a fruit tree in a public park has begun taking root. According to TakePart the following cities have such initiatives: Seattle, Boston, Asheville (NC), Madison (WI), and San Francisco. In fact, San Francisco has 25 urban orchards and Wild Food Walks to help residents and visitors find the edibles that abound in the city.
With hundreds of thousands of American youth actively participating in plant-a-tree programs, as well as large corporations going in the effort, it’s time to promote the multiple benefits of planting fruit trees on a grand scale.
Let’s GO!
SOURCE:
*Trillion Tree Campaign, Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trillion_Tree_Campaign
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