Help us plant 1 million trees, shrubs, and flowers in Saskatchewan. This will just get us started. We hope to create wildlife corridors linking the diversity deserts to help our pollinators and beneficial insects reproduce and flourish once again.
How is this possible? There are 7 million acres of cropland in Saskatchewan, over 59,000 farm operators, and 300+ urban schools that need a connection to the country.
Why are Shelterbelts (EcoBuffers) so important?
On an average leaf there are 300 stomatas, small openings where gas is exchanged, per square centimeter. Each time a plant breaths it inhales carbon dioxide and exhales oxygen AND water vapour. Trees are water pumps that help send water back up to the atmosphere. They are rain makers that help prevent or alleviate drought conditions. This process actively cools the air.
Shelterbelts have long been understood to reduce wind erosion, protecting crops and increasing yields. They also capture and store atmospheric carbon.
“The shelterbelt systems in SK are offsetting a large amount of carbon. We’ve measured ~55,000 kms of shelterbelts in SK, and these trees are locking away carbon from the atmosphere, and offsetting emissions by farmers. We are in the process of developing an App that will be available to anyone who wishes to calculate how much carbon is being sequestered by their trees. We are in the development stages, but hope to have beta models ready as early as next summer.” ~Dr. Colin Laroque, Department of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan
In 2013, the tree nursery in Indian Head lost it’s federal funding and closed down. The government continues to advocate for shelterbelts, without the provision of free trees. This project is one way of helping to meet the ecological needs of society.
Can’t Grow Trees on Your Land? No Problem!
Growing Pollinator/Prairie Strips can provide habitat for the hundreds of pollinator species that need our support. Deep rooted native plants help to protect the soil, increasing microbial health and the amount of soil organic carbon sequestered.
What is an Eco-buffer? What is a Prairie Strip? Check out these links for more information:
https://www.awes-ab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Eco-Buffer-Factsheet-Complete.pdf
https://www.nrem.iastate.edu/research/STRIPS/content/what-are-prairie-strips