The Trillion Trees Initiative for biodiversity conservation, climate adaption, ecological education, ecosystem restoration, environmental protection, sustainable greening, reforestation and species protection can reduce climate change effects, deforestation, droughts, desertification, land degradation, mass extinction, global warming and pollution worldwide. The world's first and official Trillion Trees Initiative was started in 2017 by Greening Deserts founder Oliver Gediminas Caplikas. Others like the WEF and the White House followed the good example and started also trillion trees initiatives or programs. Many people, international organisations, institutions and even governments have been inspired by the Trillion Trees Initiative and connected projects.
Greening Deserts principles and the real Trillion Trees Initiative (TTI) agreeing with the sustainable goals and scientific parts of the Trillion Tree Campaign by Plant for the Planet, the One Trillion Trees Initiative by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the Trillion Trees Partnership by TrillionTrees.org, Birdlife and WWF. TTI is not directly related to the mentioned organizations but supports some of the good goals and advises against bad goals or shows good alternatives. Greening Deserts and TTI supporting also other conservation organizations and tree planting actions by good examples and ideas. How everybody can see the others took many of the ideas in their programs or agendas. But there is also criticism of some points in the Trillion Trees Act and other campaigns or initiatives. On the official pages of TrillionTreesInitiative.org you can read about the backgrounds, facts and worldwide opinions of different media outlets, conservation organizations and institutions.
Together with many innovative developments and sustainable projects the initiative want to plant over 100 Billion Trees and can support other big tree planting actions to reach the trillion trees goal fast and efficient. Project developments like Agrophotovoltaik, Desert Bamboo Africa, Greening Coasts, Greening Drones, Greenhouse Ship, Green Ring Africa, Great Green Wall North Africa, Seeding Balloon, Transparent Solar greenhouses and many other awesome projects, organizations, institutions, partners and sponsors can support. Financial and institutional experts will help to implement good aspects of Climate Finance, Green Finance, Sustainable Investment and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Swiss finance experts and sustainable finance institutions were informed since 2018, many of them liked the idea of a Trillion Trees Foundation and Trillion Trees Fund. Some of them already working on a fund for the Trillion Trees Initiative. It will be a chance for the nations, innovative institutions and organisations to join the future actions and programs of the TTI in different parts of the world. The main focus for the next years is on Europe, Africa and MENA region. The One Trillion Trees Initiative of WEF, the One Trillion Trees Interagency Council and a special Executive Order of the White House in Washington D.C. have already positioned themselves for America and have shown their support by planting a part of the trillion trees in the USA. About more support and solidarity for the other Americas and especially tree planting actions in Africa we all would be happy.
During the next years we will all see if the United States of America or the president will keep their promises to plant a trillion trees until 2030 worldwide. The U.S. chapter of the One Trillion Trees Initiative announced to plant at least 855 million trees by 2030. Would be great if the most of the trees will be part of national parks or for biodiversity causes and not for monoculture tree plantations. Biodiversity conservation, climate adaption and establishing healthy forests with different trees species are some of the main tasks of Greening Deserts and the Trillion Trees Initiative. The focus is to establish more biodiversity in forests, agroforestry, ecological forestation (EcoForestry), mixed forests and supporting reforestation of damaged ecosystems – focus is also on wilderness, wildlife and ecosystem restoration as whole. Critically endangered and threatened tree species will be saved by breeding or cultivation in the Greening Camps and by all the coming tree planting actions. Of course native and typical trees of each region will be planted also in other right areas, habitats or climate zones the tree species belong typically. For this mammut task we will use the help and experiences of artificial intelligence (AI), plant databases, climate scientists, conservationists, indigenous people or natives, plant and tree experts or scientists like arborists and botanists. Maybe GIS experts, blockchain, cloud, supercomputing, supercomputer programs and scientific organizations or networks can support to find unknow endangered keystone species, the right tree species and places. There are some interesting programs we could imagine to integrate, like of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), WolframAlpha network, Planetary Computer by Microsoft and Wildlife Insights by Google. Landscape architects, land administrations, private landowners, satellite operators and services can also help to match the right plants and regions for the new trees and forests in future. For the TTI it is also important to integrate each concerned region into the greening process and reforestation actions. For example school classes and students of universities can use the greening camps, planting actions and workshops for environmental education, to establish better connections to nature and to get more environmental awareness. By the way, it is also great for fitness, healthy movement and health in general. Army troops and soldiers can also plant trees as a kind of training and to do something real good for the environment and humanity. The idea to include parts of the army, to fight climate change and global warming by planting trees, was published with Greening Deserts projects Greening Army and Forest Army in 2017 and 2018.
Key factors: Biodiversity forests, grasslands and landscapes, climate adaption and protection, environmental education and species protection, sustainable greening and real ecological forestry
People must understand that it is not just about to plant a few tree species. Each tree has typical plants, animals, mushrooms, insects and microorganisms to grow really healthy and to provide a kind of own cosmos or biotope. To know and to establish the most of these connections, relations and key factors is the key for real healthy and natural forests. Just compare the biodiversity, ecosystem services, productivity and soils of a rainforest and a monoculture tree plantation. Because all of these points Greening Deserts and the Trillion Trees Initiative started the Critically Endangered Species Research and Protection Program (CES-RPP), especially to show the importance of keystone species and the biodiveristy in agriculture, forestry and urban greening. Of course the waters and life forms of lakes, rivers, seas and oceans are also important in this aspect. Just to mention important issues like the biodiversity in coastal areas, coral reefs and sea grass. Later if all runs good with the research, reforestation and Greening Camps we can also support with innovative developments and projects like Greening Coasts, Greenhouse Ship and Recycling Ship.
But back to the main issues and topics of this article, the biodiversity, nature conservation, climate improvement, environmental protection and species conservation by establishing real healthy forests, grasslands and other ecosystems who need more or less trees. The official Trillion Trees Initiative (TTI) is really unique in this relation, because the members of the connected projects can cultivate, sow and plant many trees directly with the help of forestation and greening camps, balloons, greening buses or trucks, drones and planes – if seeds need to be covered by soil we will use seed balls. With connected tree experts, databases and networks we will choose the right trees for the right areas or regions where we and our partners will start with bigger tree planting actions.
A statement and important facts from the official Trillion Trees Initiative website: The TTI do not just support other tree planting organisations. Other trillion trees initiatives write that they planted that trees or want to plant a trillion trees. In fact many of them have not planted any trees themselfs and they wont if you take a closer look. In some cases their partners or supporters are big polluters or questionable industries who try to do greenwashing or treewashing. They let others do that work, mostly by cheap workers and volunteers. In general it is ok if others will be supported to plant new trees, but pay them good money if they do important work for biodiversity and environmental protection ! To plant countless monocultures or monotonous tree plantations has nothing to do with ecological forestry, ethical business or fair trade. They do or will do more damages as improvements, especially if too much trees will be planted in ancient grasslands, savannas or wetlands. The main goal should be to stop deforestation, to improve ecosystem restoration and supporting the regeneration of existing natural forests which were affected by fires or pollution. To all that companies and groups out there ! Join our real climate, environmental and species protection initiative if you really want to improve the worldwide climate and environments. Many institutions, organisations and people were informed during the years, especially about the backgrounds and true history of the real Trillion Trees Initiative.
More than 10,000 of approx 60,000 tree species worldwide are threatened with extinction. On the IUCN Red List over 1,400 tree species are listed as Critically Endangered (CR), in reality it are probably much more. Biodiversity, conservation and reforestation programs should care more about these critically endangered and keystone species. The Trillion Trees Initiative and Greening Camps in concerned regions could recultivate the critically endangered trees species. Each camp will have extra greenhouses and storage rooms for the seeds. Botanical gardens and other biodiversity projects can be connected. During the last years over 20.000 institutions, organisations and personalities were invited to join the official Trillion Trees Initiative and the special species protection program. Many academics, ambassadors, environmentalists, developers, entrepreneurs, ministers, researchers or scientists and students showed interest. Most of them liked the ideas and developments of Greening Deserts and the Trillion Trees Initiative. Even some people of the EU Commission, UN and WHO became inspired by the initiative. It is sad that some conservation and environmental organistations ignored Greening Deserts and the Trillion Trees Initiative, even after several friendly contact requests. We all should act and work together, but the society and world shows that it is not so easy, especially in these times of the crises, egoism, fears, ignorance and misunderstanding.
We want to be honest and work transparent. The future staff of the initiative will plant a lof of trees and can connect many awesome tree planting projects from around the world. So far as possible only native species will be planted, biodiversity experts and indigenous people will be included. We respect indigenous people who protect approx 80% of the world’s remaining forest biodiversity, including cultural, spiritual, social and environmental values. If Greening Deserts projects and the official Trillion Trees Initiative get enough financial support and can generate good income by the greening and research camps, developments and products, we can share much better our experiences with learning materials, various media, online or offline courses, workshops, etc.. The camps and projects can provide much work, generate a lot of jobs and income for each region. With appropriate funding and constructive support we can accelerate or improve the project developments and team building for each camp, as well as the whole infrastructure. Without money it is not possible to build up any of these camps and with too less support it needs many years more as planned, in this case other tree cultivation and tree planting projects cannot really be supported. We have not that time to wait longer and longer for all that promised support by officials or politicans. The projects need this year finally real active and financial support or it maybe will be too late. If you know the real backgrounds because of the keystone species, accelerating mass extinction and tipping points,.. you understand why we must act now or fast as possible. We must put these important points of species protection on the first place of all ‘green agendas’, whether it is the Green Deal, Greening Act, Trillion Trees Act or UN Convention on Biological Diversity.
Just imagine all that actions, the attention and financial support in the Corona Crisis would be used to reduce the Climate Crisis. We really would change the world into a better one, prevent new crises, disasters and even new pandemics who are caused by environmental pollution, species extinction and weak environments. Climate adaption, global warming mitigration, ecological education, environmental resilience and species protection is now more important as ever before. Climate protection, nature conservation and environmental protection is also species protection – so it is human protection. - Oliver Gediminas Caplikas