#20

Plant and save trees

There's an old saying: "The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second best time is now".

With UK forests & woodlands removing about 10 million tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere each year, planting trees is another small way to help.

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What you can do right now:

  • Good

    Plant a tree

    Even a single tree in your garden can help the environment, this article has some great advice on planting trees in your own garden.

    Don't worry if you don't have a garden or the space for a tree, you can plant a tree via charities like The Woodland Trust, or World Land Trust

  • Better

    Don't contribute to deforestation

    The WWF estimates an average of 18.7 Million Acres of forests are lost each year, primarily due to repurposing of the land to things like cattle ranching or to produce things like palm oil.

    To help, it comes back to Action 2: Think Twice. When buying anything, no matter how small, be mindful of where it's come from and the impact it could be having on the planet.

    Look out for certification badges like The Rainforest Alliance and the FSC which can help indicate responsible, sustainable production.

  • Best

    Protect and plant whole forests and woodland

    Luckily for this one you don't need to do the planting... Charities such as The Woodland Trust and World Land Trust both work to protect woodland, forests, and other vital habitats in the UK and around the world.

    Providing regular support for charities like these is a great way to help on a much larger scale.

Why is this important?

Planting trees and protecting forests is another action we can take to help fight climate change.

Not only do trees absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, they help the environment in so many other ways too:

  • They produce oxygen
  • They help prevent soil erosion (helps with flooding)
  • They're a haven for bees, insects, and other wildlife
  • They help clean the air of other pollutants
  • They help provide shade and can keep cities cool
  • The list goes on!

Useful links: