Planting Trees to protect water
For people and biodiversity’s survival, water must be protected. The solution is trees. All over the Planet, many groups and businesses are planting trees that will save us in the future. Why trees? Because it’s Trees and particularly woodlands and forests that give us our water. Let me explain.
Forests have a super power: they help the earth hold onto water. The vast majority of the accessible fresh water is provided by underground reserves that are supplied by forests and woodlands.
With no forests, the ground soil is not well-protected. Moist soil holds water and then stays in place and is aerated by tree roots. Without trees the soil becomes more compact: unable to absorb water, it suffers from erosion, and the water table struggles to replenish itself and can run out or run low.
People, through deforestation and urbanisation, have interrupted the water cycle, and the consequences can already be seen: droughts, erosion, silting, desertification in other parts of the world, but as witnessed over the last couple of summers, we are not immune as the climate warms.
Tree roots rebalance the water cycle
To keep the balance of the water cycle, rainwater must be absorbed by the soil and not just stay on the surface or run off to rivers and the sea: soaking into the soil is how it reaches the water table, our fresh water reserves. And for the water table to be topped up, the soil must be aerated and porous. Otherwise, the water will be “lost”, forming into streams on the surface and just pours away into stream and rivers and into the sea or simply lost to evaporation.
Thanks to the roots of Trees, soil is held together and make it permeable to rain water. The water can then gently flow into the underground reserves.
As well as water preservation, woodlands increase rainfall and prevent the need to draw from the reserves. Forest also provide natural water purification.
Individuals and Businesses really do want to help nature recover.
Back in early 2022, and following numerous requests to plant trees to help the environment by both individuals and businesses, Bob decided to seek out a significant land owner that shared the same values and commitment to the planet.
Mid summer 2022, Bob met with Lord Dunsany, Randal Plunkett, a passionate lover of nature, Randal had already begun rewilding 750 acres of land at and around Dunsany Castle.
Both Bob and Randal could see that combining forces they could accelerate tree planting at Dunsany and engage 100s of people and businesses in the Rewilding efforts with particular focus on Tree planting.
The plan was to reconnect various existing woodlands with native Irish Trees.
This would happen through one-off tree planting commitments, and on going subscriptions.
Both men could see the potential to engage people in Tree planting, have families come out and plant, have business teams and their customers experience walks in the ancient woodlands and planting trees.
The project would allow Irish Trees to help the environment, biodiversity, carbon dioxide removal, and planting trees to protect water is also an ambition. This project will help bring people into nature and educating both adults and children about the amazing force of nature, not just by seeing it, being in it, but by helping it. The story continues to unfold…..
