Committed to Growing London's Greenspace & Tree Canopy
Jennifer Chesnut, Environmentalist In Residence at the Central Branch of the London Public Library, lead a Youth Eco-Activism workshop. My wife, Clyo, and I hosted a Greenspace Alliance table there today, along with other activist groups. I talked to students who attended about our GA agenda for London.
My eleven-year-old granddaughter Amelia and I planted trees in Meadowgate Park this morning. We were planting native species, mainly tulip trees, to fill gaps in an existing plantation (an area in which trees have been planted). About fifty people showed up at the event, which was sponsored by ReForest London.
In order to show our support for ReForest London, we left a couple of Greenspace Alliance signs in the area where people were picking up tools.
The point of filling in the gaps between existing trees in our city’s parks is, of course, to increase our city’s tree canopy. And we want to increase our city’s tree canopy because every tree is a carbon absorbing ally in the fight against global warming, climate change, and sea level rise.
Research shows that a city needs a minimum of a 40% tree canopy to offset carbon emissions and help keep residents cooler during heat events.
My granddaughter was quite keen on helping me plant trees. She gets how important it is!
