2 ways you can help urban and rainforest conservation efforts from home

Rain forest conservation advocates are working to preserve the plant and animal species that live there, especially those yet to be discovered by scientists. For example, the Amazon basin is home to 8,235,430 km2 of dense tropical forest that covers parts of Brazil and Peru. Much of this area is unexplored and contains many living organisms that we have yet to discover. Environmentalists fear that undiscovered species could become extinct long before we have a chance to study them due to a growing problem called deforestation.

Illegal logging has greatly affected the natural climate of the Amazon. A rapid deforestation frenzy fueled by greed for soy, charcoal, and cattle production is responsible for the removal of up to 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 water circulation patterns in the world, not to mention the negative impact on the remaining wildlife and vegetation in the area.

“Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Da Silva said the drought was related to record sea temperatures in the Southwest Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico that had also contributed to the 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 clogged with sediment swept up from denuded land. it was a crucial factor in the desiccation of a region that has already lost 17% of its forest cover.’ “Science shows that 50% of rain comes from trees recycling water through evaporation, which creates more rain. If you lose the trees, you lose the rain. It can’t go on like this,” he said. : http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/jul/17/brazil.topstories3

Due to the shear size of the Amazon rainforest, it literally drives weather systems around the world. as more and more trees are removed. Weather systems deviate from their regular paths, resulting in too much (storms) or not enough (drought) rain for other parts of the world.

Widespread deforestation is a global problem and it will take all of us working together to stop it. There are two ways to contribute to the cause. You can adopt a tree to ensure its protection for the next 30 years, or advocate for an increase in the population of trees and shrubs in your own community.

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

1. Land leases to ensure control of the property your tree is on.
2. Active Rangers patrolling the area to report suspicious activity.
3. A satellite monitoring system that provides 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% protection for your tree. Should anything happen to your adopted tree, they will transfer their protection efforts to another tree at no additional cost to you. You can check this service at http://www.treems.com

The other place you can contribute is in your own backyard. Research shows that an increase in the population of trees in urban areas in recent 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 “plant trees” link below. If we all do our part to take a little care of nature, whether it’s located in the Amazon or in your own backyard, eventually everyone will get the message that as long as our trees survive, so will we.