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Planting Trees to Sequester Carbon

2014 Virden, Manitoba, Canada

Logan Biccum and Natalie Vachon wanted to “create a better environment for their watershed.” The students proposed planting trees at a local park, “a simple but obvious solution that will greatly benefit the environment.”

Along with their classmates, Logan and Natalie planted 92 trees along Scallion Creek at the school’s Learning Garden site. Working with the Upper Assiniboine Conservation District, the team chose a site where tree planting would “greatly benefit the soil erosion and wildlife habitat.” Trees are an extremely important part of a watershed. Among the benefits of trees: “Trees reduce greenhouse effect by shading house and office buildings. This reduces the need for air conditioning, which in turn reduces the amount of fossil fuels burned to produce energy. Tree roots will also eliminate nutrients which are harmful to our water, and by planting trees we can enlarge our wildlife habitat.”

Thanks to a contribution from Nutrien, the support of the Upper Assiniboine Conservation District and the hard work of their classmates, Logan and Natalie discovered that “planting trees will improve our earth in so many ways!”