Recently in Urban Afforestation Category

American Bird watchers coast to coast are invited to take part in the 13th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, Friday, February 12, through Monday, February 15, 2010.  Participants in the free event will join tens of thousands of volunteers counting birds in their own backyards, local parks or wildlife refuges. 

Each checklist submitted by these "citizen scientists" helps researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology,the National Audubon Society , and Bird Studies Canada learn more about how the birds are doing--and how to protect them. Last year, participants turned in more than 93,600 checklists online, creating the continent's largest instantaneous snapshot of bird populations ever recorded. 

"Taking part in the Great Backyard Bird Count is a great way to get outside with family and friends, have fun, and help birds--all at the same time," said Audubon Education Vice President, Judy Braus. "Even if you can only identify a few species you can provide important information that enables scientists to learn more about how the environment is changing and how that affects our conservation priorities."

Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count,
from novice bird watchers to experts.

Participants count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the event and report their sightings online at www.birdcount.org. One 2009 participant said, "Thank you for the opportunity to participate in citizen science. I have had my eyes opened to a whole new interest and I love it!"

"The GBBC is a perfect first step towards the sort of intensive monitoring needed to discover how birds are responding to environmental change," said Janis Dickinson, the director of Citizen Science at the Cornell Lab.

Winter is such a vulnerable period for birds, so winter bird distributions are likely to be very sensitive to change.

There is only one way--citizen science--to gather data on private lands where people live and GBBC has been doing this across the continent for many years.

GBBC has enormous potential both as an early warning system and in capturing and engaging people in more intensive sampling of birds across the landscape."

Bird populations are always shifting and changing.

For example, 2009 GBBC data highlighted a huge southern invasion of Pine Siskins across much of the eastern United States. Participants counted 279,469 Pine Siskins on 18,528 checklists, as compared to the previous high of 38,977 birds on 4,069 checklists in 2005. Failure of seed crops farther north caused the siskins to move south to find their favorite food.

Bird Count Website

On the www.birdcount.org website, participants can explore real-time maps and charts that show what others are reporting during the count. The site has tips to help identify birds and special materials for educators. Participants may also enter the GBBC photo contest by uploading images taken during the count. Many images will be featured in the GBBC website's photo gallery. All participants are entered in a drawing for prizes that include bird feeders, binoculars, books, CDs, and many other great birding products.

Canadian Bird Studies Birdcount

In 2010, Bird Studies Canada (BSC) joins the GBBC as the program's Canadian partner. "Bird Studies Canada is delighted to be the Canadian partner for this extremely valuable program," said George Finney, President of BSC. "Participating in the GBBC is an excellent way for Canadians to reconnect with their love of nature and birds."

For more information about the GBBC, visit the website at www.birdcount.org.

Contact the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at (800) 843-2473, gbbc@cornell.edu,

Audubon at (202) 861-2242 ext 3050, citizenscience@audubon.org.

In Canada, participants may contact Bird Studies Canada at 1- (888)- 448-2473 ext. 134 or gbbc@birdscanada.org.  

The Great Backyard Bird Count is made possible, in part, by support from Wild Birds Unlimited.  

Restoring devastated rainforest is a noble goal...but is it possible? 

Yes, says ZERI founder, Gunter Pauli.  Their organization turned waste into a productive, living, sustainable community.  It's a demonstration of natural systems-based environmental and economic development.

The Las Gaviotas reforestation project is not only about planting trees for climate stabilization; it is, primarily, about catalyzing a development program that will pave the way for creating a sustainable future for our children where society is able to provide for the basic needs of all in terms of water, food, health care, shelter, energy, jobs and education with local resources. Las Gaviotas is poised to do nothing less than reshape the face of sustainable development and, consequently, the world.

Aerial view of the 8,000 hectares, replanted with Caribbean Pine.

Imagine miles and miles of desolate savannah in Eastern Colombia, without a tree or bird or child in sight, a veritable no-man's land. For Paolo Lugari this was the perfect place to implement a vision: if a sustainable community could be created in such adverse environmental, social and political conditions, it could be done anywhere on the planet. Las Gaviotas has done just that, and much more.

In 1992, in conjunction with the Kyoto Protocol and the Japanese government, the Environmental Research Center at Las Gaviotas began substantiating the concept of carbon sinks to sequester carbon dioxide and stabilize the climate. Based on the cash generated by its renewable energy project, complemented with funding secured through the Japanese government, Las Gaviotas, founded and directed by Paolo Lugari, planted 8,000 HA of Caribbean pine trees in a savannah that had been unproductive for centuries. It was considered impossible to plant trees in such acidic, inhospitable soil (pH 4) but thanks to the innovative use of mycorrhizal fungi which acts as the saliva for the tree, the forestation was successful. More than just successful, this initiative to initiate economic activities and to validate carbon sinks unleashed a chain reaction of positive effects that surprised even the initiators of the program...

Today, more than a decade later, the forestation of 8,000 HA has resulted in 10 percent more precipitation (some 110,000 m³ per day), converting Las Gaviotas into a net supplier of drinking water, a crystalline water of superior quality. With the cost of drinking water exceeding the cost of petroleum, Las Gaviotas demonstrated that reforestation allows us to address one of the most critical issues the world is facing: access to natural potable water!

For a case study, visit the article "The Renaissance of the Rainforest" by Gunter Pauli.

Scotty Claus is an innovative tree entrepreneur who provides rental, living Christmas trees in their community.  "Our mission 'to change the way California celebrates Christmas' began the year I spent my Christmas vacation delivering trees for Bob's Nursery in Manhattan Beach. Gleefully singing Christmas carols in a silly Santa hat, I was amazed at the sheer magic and merriment created by the simple act of bringing a Christmas tree into the house. The tree delivery signaled that Christmas in the home had truly begun.

"Contrasting that intense happiness was the sadness I felt in seeing that same tree discarded by the curb in the weeks that followed Christmas.

"It seems wrong that a tree that symbolized hope, joy and new life could be so easily abandoned. From this, the idea for The Living Christmas Company was born," and that's the story of Scotty! 

Living Christmas Co. is located in the heart of the beach communities of Los Angeles -- in Redondo Beach -- a most non-North Pole kind of community.  But Christmas spirit is just as strong, and it is very feasible to raise these Christmas trees locally in the robust nursery industry that takes advantage of the year-round growing conditions of Southern California.

Add to that natural growing advantage, a smart business model, and you have a delightful entrepreneurial venture that brings delight, service, and renewable resources to the community.

Families can rent a living tree, enjoy it and return it for another season of growth in prime nursery conditions.

Living Christmas trees can be displayed in retail businesses and enjoy cross-marketing opportunities, customer discounts, and a percentage rebate of all sales generated. Retailers may also choose to carry the line of Fair Trade and eco-sensitive ornaments on consignment or as a vendor.

The Living Christmas Company helps non-profit organization reach fundraising goals by sharing revenue from members who rent their Living Trees from the company.

Mature Tree Adoption Program: The rented Christmas trees are well loved, but sometimes, because of their size or condition,  are forced into retirement from active rental duty. These retirees are donated for urban reforestation programs and non-profit landscaping projects. Organizations can request adoption of mature trees.

Eco-Advocacy: The Living Christmas Co.  supports local environmental groups that share their environmental goals of raising awareness and participating in the community.

They have supported Global Green by donating trees for their millennium event and supporting their annual pledge drive. By attending local green events, such as Earth Day events and environmental fairs, they support local green organizations such as VOICE (Volunteers and Organizations Improving the Community's Environment) in their mission to educate and increase awareness about the Earth's environment.

Possibly the Living Christmas Company's most important initiative is challenging the general public to re-evaluate their practices by offering a dynamic alternative to artificial and cut trees.

"This is not your grandmother's tree; this is your children's tree"

For a calendar update of nursery visits and opportunities to meet the "elves of the trees", check out the blog for The Living Christmas Co.