2 Ways You Can Help Urban and Rain Forest Conservation Efforts From Home

Image via WikipediaBy Charley Q Dapper

Advocates of rain forest conservation are working to preserve the plant and animal species living there, especially the ones the have yet to be discovered by scientists. For example, the Amazon Basin is home to 8,235,430 km2 of dense tropical forest covering parts of Brazil and Peru. Much of this area is unexplored and contains many living organisms that we haven't even discovered yet. Environmentalists fear that undiscovered species may be extinct long before we have a chance to study them due to an increasing problem called deforestation.

Illegal logging has greatly effected the natural climate of the Amazon. A rapid deforestation frenzy driven by greed for the production of soy beans, charcoal, and livestock is responsible for clearing as much as 17% of Amazon Forest cover. That's not the worst of it, studies report that land cover changes caused by deforestation have actually increased over the last decade. The more trees that are removed, the greater the change in world water circulation patterns, not to mention the negative impact on remaining wildlife and vegetation in the area.

"Brazil's environment minister, Marina Da Silva, said the drought was linked to record sea temperatures in the south-west Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico that had also contributed to last year's record Atlantic hurricane season. But the destruction of the rainforest by illegal loggers has also been named as a cause, as rivers become choked with silt swept from the denuded land. Ecologist Carlos Rittl said the continued removal of trees was a crucial factor in the drying of a region that has already lost 17% of its forest cover. 'The science shows that 50% of the rain comes from the trees recycling the water through evaporation, which creates more rain. If you lose the trees you lose the rainfall. It cannot continue like this,' he said." News source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/jul/17/brazil.topstories3

Because of the shear size of the Amazon rain forest, it literally drives weather systems around the world. as more and more trees are removed. Weather systems are sent off their regular paths resulting in either too much (storms) or not enough (drought) rain fall for other parts of the world.

Wide spread deforestation is a world issue and it's going to take all of us working together to stop it. There are two ways you can contribute to the cause. You can adopt a tree to ensure it's protection for the next 30 years, or advocate an increase in the tree and shrub population in your own community.

A non-profit organization called Treems is a web based organization that guarantees the protection of any rain forest tree that is adopted by one of their clients. You can help protect the rain forest from the comfort of your own home, simply go to their website (use link above) and pick the tree or trees from their maps that you would like to adopt. Your donation goes toward ensuring the protection of the trees you have chosen for the next 30 years. Your tree will be protected by three different lines of defence in addition to the Treems personal guarantee. The three lines of defence are:

1. Land-lease contracts to ensure control of the property that your tree is located on.
2. Active Rangers patrolling the area to report suspicious activity.
3. A satellite monitoring system providing real time updates to track any major changes to your tree.

The Treems organization is so confident in their tree protection systems that they guarantee 100% the protection of your tree. If something should happen to your adopted tree, they will transfer your protection efforts to another tree at no extra cost to you. You can check out this service at http://www.treems.com

The other place you can contribute is in your own back yard. Research is showing that an increase in the tree population in urban areas over the last few years is contributing to massive energy savings and other benefits for urban communities. You can read more about the benefits of planting trees by following the "planting trees" link below. If we all do our part to care for a bit of nature weather it's located in the Amazon or right in your own back yard, eventually everyone will get the message that as our trees survive, so shall we.

Planting Trees: The many benefits we get from our trees.
Tree Pruning: Get information and tips on tree trimming to help you care for the vegetation in your landscape.

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