Cape Town - Plant trees, save the world!
That's according to local environmental organisation, Greenpop, who are calling for more trees to be planted in a bid to mitigate climate change.
With September being Arbor month, the NGO is launching a bold new tree planting initiative to raise 10 000 trees in 30 days.
It's all part of their longer-term goal to plant 500 000 trees by the year 2025.
Since 2010, Greenpop has planted over 115 000 trees and worked on environmental projects in urban greening, reforestation and conservation agriculture across sub-Saharan Africa.
Their focus has been on connecting people with the planet, engaging communities and inspiring environmental stewards.
On 28 March, 2019, speakers at a General Assembly High-Level Meeting of the United Nations warned that the planet has just 11 years left to prevent irreversible damage from climate change.
In addition, a recent study published in the journal Science, entitled "The global tree restoration potential" states: “[This research] highlights global tree restoration as our most effective climate change solution to date… Our results highlight the opportunity of climate change mitigation through global tree restoration but also the urgent need for action.”
Picture: Juliette Bisset
According to Zoe Gauld-Angelucci, Greenpop Head of Programmes: “The drivers of forest degradation in sub-Saharan Africa are multiple and compounding. From unregulated logging (often by foreign companies) to clearing for cash crops, to overuse of trees for fuel, human activity is putting increasing and devastating pressure on forest ecosystems.
"For this reason, Greenpop's Collaborative Reforestation programme seeks not only to restore forest ecosystems through planting trees but also to provide additional interventions which address these contextual drivers.
"By providing training in practices such as alternative livelihoods, woodlot management, and farmer-managed natural regeneration, alongside reforestation, our programme aims to decrease pressure on stressed ecosystems while assisting in accelerating their recovery,” she said.
But it's going to take more action and less talk to ensure that a change is made.
“We don’t have time to wait. Individuals, organisations, companies, and governments must take action. We have an opportunity now. There is a window to actively do something that can change the course of our existence. We can make history or let our inaction decide for us," said Greenpop CEO Misha Teasdale.
For further information on how you can make a difference this Arbor Month by donating to trees which will be planted across Sub-Saharan Africa, visit greenpop.org for more information on how to contribute.