GRAND PRIZE WINNER: “Lover of Light”

PHOTOGRAPHER: Rachel Feinberg (Calif.)
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “I was walking along a swamp in Lakeland, Fla., surrounded on either side by a thick blanket of moss and vines draped upon tangled branches. Then, like a scene on stage, the curtains of glowing Spanish moss opened to reveal a lone anhinga, basking in the spotlight of the setting sun.”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Feinberg is a photo enthusiast whose work can be viewed at www.shutterberg.com.
WHY WE LOVED IT: “This image reflects a truly masterful job of creating a strong, clean composition out of an otherwise busy scene. The use of natural framing and lighting creates an amazing sense of depth within the frame, and the various textures combined with the placement of the anhinga adds an emotional element, elevating the visual significantly.” — Scott Kranz

WINNER, FOREST WILDLIFE: “Sunrise Feast”

PHOTOGRAPHER: Dave Shaffer (Wis.)
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “It was a cold February morning. We had a snowstorm the day before, but I was greeted with a glorious backyard sunrise. I was delighted to see one of my crabapple trees was filled with hungry pine grosbeaks. Quickly, I grabbed my camera. The warm glow of the morning sun was wonderful as this male enjoyed his feast.”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Shaffer is a wildlife photographer whose work can be viewed at www.bearwitnessimages.com. Shaffer was the 2021 Forests in Focus grand prize winner and the 2018 forest wildlife category winner.
WHY WE LOVED IT: “Dave’s image of the pine grosbeak eating crab apples includes everything I look for in good nature photography — technical skills, complimentary composition, nice light and an authentic, spontaneous moment of a personally meaningful subject. It’s easy to get a dramatic photograph of lions or tigers or bears on safari, but it’s often hard to connect meaningfully to such exotic or even cliché images. I find myself much more grateful — and apt to smile — for an image like this that reminds me to take a moment in my own backyard and inspires me to notice all the beautiful little dynamics all around us all the time.” — Jason Houston

WINNER, FOREST CLOSE-UPS: “Those Who Inhale the Dew”

PHOTOGRAPHER: Ellie Fornshell (Ohio)
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “I had been wandering the woods of Canada Creek Ranch, Mich., for hours, my camera in hand. I stooped to lift a tattered leaf, and the glimmer of morning dew on its vibrant skin caught my eye. I held it against the gloom of the distant trees to snap a picture.”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Fornshell enjoys taking photographs of nature and her work can be viewed at www.facebook.com/mirco.america.
WHY WE LOVED IT: “This image stands out in so many extraordinary ways. The incredible detail in this macro shot adds both intrigue and mystery, drawing the viewer’s eye into this tiny world. And the colors throughout the image — from the gradient of blues on the leaf to the pops of purple bokeh in the background — are beautifully captured.” — Scott Kranz

WINNER, CITYSCAPES SPLENDOR: “Autumn Tunnel”

PHOTOGRAPHER: Ed Neville (Colo.)
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “On an early October morning bike ride along the Big Dry Creek trail in Westminster, Colo., the sunlight backlit this ash tree in full yellow display.”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Neville is an award-winning nature photographer whose work can be viewed at www.edneville.com.
WHY WE LOVED IT: “’The Autumn Tunnel’ is an homage to the perfect fall day. The image created an intimacy with nature for the viewer by framing the vibrancy and majesty of the foliage and tree. It feels like a portal drawing you into the beauty of a moment in time.” — Koren Martin

WINNER, FORESTS AND PEOPLE: “One with the Trees”

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jamie Ball (Mich.)
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “On a venture to explore all the state parks in Michigan, we find ourselves on a lot of hikes, such as this one in Hartwick Pine State Park. My son Greyson likes to explore all the trees along the way and found this one particularly interesting.”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Ball is a Michigan State Park photo ambassador whose work can be viewed at www.mittenfilms.com.
WHY WE LOVED IT: “As a mom of boys at a similar age who share a love of hiking and exploring, the moment captured in this photograph resonated with me on a personal level. There is also some sweet symbolism in this scene — out of the old comes something new, hope in a new generation.” — Carla Delgado  

WINNER, BIG, BEAUTIFUL TREES: “Redwood Light”

PHOTOGRAPHER: Michelle McAfee (Ore.)
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “Just south of Crescent City, Calif., cars lined Highway 101, parked willy-nilly by excited, mesmerized drivers. Golden sunbeams exploded through the fog-enshrouded grove of giant redwood trees, as dozens of people stood in the lanes. I laid on the grainy, southbound asphalt and shot my Nikon at the light that stopped traffic.”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: McAfee is a photographer/writer whose work can be viewed at www.michellemcafeephoto.com.
WHY WE LOVED IT: “Redwoods are a spectacular sight in their own right. The light pouring through the fog and around this giant conveys a sense of mystery and wonder, highlighting the magical feeling one experiences while in these spaces.” — Libby Pansing

WINNER, FOREST LANDSCAPES: “Shades of Winter”

PHOTOGRAPHER: Kinley Bollinger (Wyo.)
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “Thigh deep in snow, I attempted to steady my tripod legs. My hands fumbled in the sub-zero temperatures, and my eyes and ears stung from the cold. However, the beauty of the moment brought peace to my heart.”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Bollinger is an 18-year-old nature photographer who loves to share the beauty of her home state. Bollinger’s work can be viewed at www.wyophotos.com. Bollinger was a 2021 Forests in Focus honorable mention, a 2018 People’s Choice nominee and first entered our contest in the Aspiring Photographers category.
WHY WE LOVED IT: “When I think of winter, of course my mind goes to the ‘winter blues.’ The sun sets earlier, brining blue hour sooner and a cold dark blue night. For me, ‘Shades of Winter’ brings the color to life, from its ice, water and sky, all juxtaposed against the blanket of white snow. There is a calm in the photo that is inviting despite its harsh condition.” — Eric Lee

WINNER, NATURE AS ART: “Abstraction Created by Southern Appalachian Understory”

PHOTOGRAPHER: Neil Jacobs (N.C.)
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “I made a similar photo the previous year, which inspired this image I took last fall in Ashville, N.C., as the leaves began changing color. This photo is part of a series of forest abstractions I created when I moved to the area.”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Jacobs is a still photographer for television and film whose work can be viewed at www.neiljacobsphotographer.com.
WHY WE LOVED IT: “Nature is beautiful in and of itself, and it’s because of that beauty (often represented in photographs) that we can fall in love with places we don’t get to experience first hand. We count on that at the most basic level. But it’s in the interpretation of that beauty — like in Neil’s forest understory abstraction — where the photographer steps back from a literal representation of what we SEE and strives to capture instead what we FEEL — that reminds me of those more rare moments of awe that take our relationship with nature to the next level.” — Jason Houston

WINNER, ASPIRING PHOTOGRAPHERS: “Lensball Reflection”

PHOTOGRAPHER: Kaiden Deck (Ohio)
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “I took this photo one evening on a mountaintop in West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest. The sun shined through the tall trees and illuminated the moss. I set up my lensball and was able to capture the bokeh in the background.”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Deck is a high school sophomore with aspirations to pursue photography as a career and whose work can be viewed on his Instagram @kaideck_photography.
WHY WE LOVE IT: “What captivated me with this photo was the illusion of scale. In this context, the lensball looks like a giant dew drop sitting on the mossy forest floor. With the sun peering through the trees in the background, there’s something almost magical about the scene.” — Carla Delgado  

HONORABLE MENTIONS

“Here Comes the Sun” by Ken Vesey

“Castle Lake” by Chris Manfield

“Trillium Lake” by David Griffith

“Forest Shelf” by Peter Guttmacher

ABOUT THE JUDGES

American Forests was honored to have the following six incredible judges on our panel for the 2022 Forests in Focus Photo Contest.

Scott Kranz

Scott Kranz is a Minnesota-bred, Seattle-based photographer and filmmaker specializing in outdoor adventure and landscapes. Follow his journey at www.scott-kranz.com and @scott_kranz.

Jason Houston

Jason Houston is an independent photographer / filmmaker exploring how we live on the planet and with each other through community, culture and human experience. Visit his website at www.jasonhouston.com

Koren Martin

Koren Martin is a Philadelphia-based photographer originally from Atlantic City, N.J. Her work is a mixture of candid portraiture and immersive documentary photography. She has a passion for highlighting the beauty and strength of the African Diaspora.

Carla Delgado

Carla Delgado is the founder and creative director at Page 33 Studio based in Austin, specializing in editorial design, brand identity and information graphics.

Eric Lee

Eric Lee is a freelance photojournalist in Washington, D.C., focused on photographing stories of identity, community and resilience.

Libby Pansing

Libby Pansing is a forest and restoration scientist for American Forests who enjoys trying to capture the beauty of high-elevation forests during her journeys for work and play.

The post 2022 Forests in Focus Photo Contest winners appeared first on American Forests.

Was it a sporting event? A religious pilgrimage? Nothing of the sort. It was a series of massive wildfires that collectively became known as The Tillamook Burn and destroyed 355,000 acres, resulting in an unprecedented restoration response from the state. The Burn helped usher in the modern era of post-fire reforestation, spawning decades of efforts by foresters and volunteers to restore the forests.

A group of high school boys from Hillsboro, Forest Grove and Timber, Ore., preparing to replant a section of the Tillamook Burn in March 1945. Photo Credit: The Oregon Department of Forestry

Schoolchildren gather on an old log landing, before helping replant the Tillamook Burn in the 1950s. “The Burn” is a major part of Oregon’s history, with the replanting effort involving thousands of volunteers from across the state. Photo Credit: The Oregon Department of Forestry

Then, almost 70 years after the last embers died out, another series of fires dwarfed it and showed that, for all that has been learned over the years, wildfires are still one of the most challenging issues facing Oregon and the entire country. And they’ve been made worse by climate change. But for those charged with responding to the 2020 Labor Day fires who may feel overwhelmed at the scale of the destruction, they only need look at the lush, green slopes of the restored Tillamook Burn scar for a sense of hope.

LEGACY AND LESSONS FROM “THE BURN”

The Tillamook Forest Center details the history and ecology of the Tillamook State Forest and the fires that shaped it. Decker was a driving force behind the creation of the center and has written extensively on the history of the Tillamook Burn. Photo Credit: Jason Houston / American Forests

Few people know the history of the Tillamook Burn better than Forest Historian Doug Decker. A retired Oregon state forester and 11-year veteran of the Tillamook State Forest, Decker led the development of the Tillamook Forest Center, which details the rich history of “The Burn.”

Decker explains that the fires brought about profound change to the region, from land ownership to transportation corridors — even local climate conditions in The Burn area changed. In 1948 Oregonians narrowly passed a constitutional amendment to sell bonds in order to reforest lands that had passed into state ownership following the fires. In 1949 a massive reforestation plan began, mobilizing inmates, contract crews, volunteers and even school children.

More than 72 million seedlings were planted by hand, along with a billion Douglas-fir trees that were seeded in by helicopter crews. In 1973, Oregon Governor Tom McCall renamed the Tillamook Burn site as the Tillamook State Forest. This pragmatic approach to collectively solving problems for the benefit of all Oregonians is often called “The Oregon Way.”

“It’s a place where people came together to do something larger than themselves, to do something without an immediate, direct benefit,” Decker says.

Looking at the Tillamook today, he sees hope for the Labor Day burn scars.

The North Fork area in Tillamook State Forest shows areas replanted after the historic fires. “The forest has recovered, and I believe that will happen in the Santiam as well, but maybe not in our lifetimes,” says Historian and former Oregon state forester Doug Decker. Photo Credit: Jason Houston / American Forests

The Labor Day Fires of 2020 were catastrophic, and to many Oregonians, a reminder of the Tillamook Burn. The Sardine Creek area near Gold Hill, pictured here, was especially hard hit in 2020, and will be the location of an American Forests carbon finance project. Photo Credit: Jason Houston / American Forests

“Traveling through The Burn today, most people would have no idea it was once a moonscape, that the natural landscape and the human landscape went through such trauma in the mid-20th Century,” Decker says. “When they go up there today, I think it’s a place that people take for granted. The forest has recovered, and I believe that will happen in the Santiam as well — but maybe not in our lifetimes.”

Robbie Lefebvre, Oregon Department of Forestry’s Northwest Oregon assistant area director, notes that the lessons and the impact of the Tillamook Burn are seen every day in his reforestation work. “We learned to grow seedlings at a large scale, and [The Tillamook Burn] created an entire profession of seedling nurseries. We started to learn about seed zones and the importance of planting seed that was adapted for that site,” he says.

SAVING THE SANTIAM

It’s first light in Lyons, Ore., nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains 10 miles from the Santiam State Forest. Thousands of seedlings currently sit in “The Cooler” at the Oregon Department of Forestry’s seed storage facility, and Victor Tenerio is eager to get them up the mountain and into the ground.

As the leader of a nine-person planting crew, Tenerio has a huge responsibility, because this is no ordinary reforestation job. It is a Herculean effort — planting 2 million seedlings over three years, with most of them being planted in 2022. For comparison, a typical year in the Santiam sees about 250,000 seedlings planted. There will be two or three crews working at any given time.

Planting Crew Lead Victor Tenerio loads seedlings at “The Cooler” in Lyons, Ore., for the day’s planting at a burn site in Santiam State Forest. Photo Credit: Jason Houston / American Forests

The extent of the restoration needs is a direct reflection of the catastrophic devastation the area experienced. The Labor Day fires consumed 1 million acres of Oregon forests in under 48 hours, including valuable hunting, fishing and hiking areas for local communities, and commercial logging sites.

Days after the fires, American Forests stepped in with one of its largest grants in history: $1 million to reforest some of the 16,000 damaged acres of the Santiam State Forest.

The decision was a no-brainer, says Brian Kittler, American Forests’ senior director of forest restoration: “There’s no place in the Continental United States that stores as much carbon as Western Oregon or Washington, so from that perspective alone, it was a good place for us to be making these investments.” It also made sense in terms of protecting drinking water, recreational benefits and wildlife, while supporting overwhelmed state foresters, Kittler adds.

At the planting site, Tenerio’s crew loads seedlings before heading up the steep, charred slopes, carefully picking their way among the thousands of standing and fallen dead trees. To avoid going up and down the hill repeatedly, they are re-stocked using a four-wheel ATV.

To save time and energy from going up and down the steep slopes, an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) is used to restock seedlings in Santiam State Forest. Photo Credit: Jason Houston / American Forests

When the day is done, each crew member will have planted about 1,000 seedlings at 12-foot intervals, often in the shade of the dead trees. Many of these workers fight fires in the summer and plant trees in the winter to send money home to support their families in Mexico.

The goal is to restore the wildlife habitat for species such as deer, elk, cougar, bear, trout and spotted owl, as well as to protect Oregon’s water supply and recover recreational opportunities. The forest is extremely popular with Latinx and other underserved communities in this part of the Willamette Valley, including many in the nearby city of Salem who have few other opportunities for outdoor recreation. Hikers, hunters and mushroom foragers use the forest, as well as people with disabilities who appreciate its roads.

The loss of Santiam’s recreational elements was “massive,” says Lefebvre. “Those 16,000 acres will take a long time to recover; however, those impacts will be felt throughout the entire 47,000-acre forest, changing the experience for a generation.” Some areas have been re-opened recently, but many are still too dangerous for public recreation.

The reforestation uses the latest science, with special attention to the changing climate. By planting diverse species using seeds adapted to this location, the team aims to build resiliency into the forest and capture more carbon. They are also hedging their bets, conducting an assisted migration study to test whether seed from other locations may do well here in the future.

Douglas-fir seedlings are planted next to downed trees, which provide nutrients and shade from the sun as they grow. Photo Credit: Jason Houston / American Forests

The effort also represents a larger ambition for American Forests in the Pacific Northwest. This includes post-fire restoration on 565,000 acres of public and private land in and around Oregon’s portion of the Klamath Basin.

Working with partners, such as the U.S. Forest Service, state agencies, tribal groups, conservation organizations and timber companies, American Forests is developing holistic, multi-year funding, workforce development, prioritization and reforestation strategies that are driven by climate science.

John Walter (left), with the Oregon Department of Forestry, talks with American Forests’ Senior Director of Forest Restoration Brian Kittler at the burn site. Kittler says: “I have a personal love for this landscape and my state, and knowing that they were going to be financially challenged, we were in a position to help.” Photo Credit: Jason Houston / American Forests

Shellburg Falls north of Lyons, Ore., is a popular natural attraction and sacred site for local tribes that has been closed since the fires. Photo Credit: Jason Houston / American Forests

Robbie Lefebvre, Oregon Department of Forestry’s Northwest Oregon assistant area director, walks along Kings Mountain Trail in Tillamook State Forest. He is hopeful that the Santiam State Forest will recover as well as the Tillamook. Photo Credit: Jason Houston / American Forests

American Forests is also working on innovative carbon finance mechanisms that will fund upfront reforestation costs following a burn based on how much carbon revenue the forest will produce in the future.

Kittler and Lefebvre both agree that while much of the work is still in the early stages, it’s the beginning of a long relationship between American Forests and the Oregon Department of Forestry. The challenge is massive, but looking at how the Tillamook has risen from the ashes, and using many of the lessons learned from The Burn, Lefebvre sees a bright future for Oregon’s forests.

Forest scenes from the North Fork area in Tillamook State Forest show areas replanted after the historic fires between 1933 and 1951. Photo Credit: Jason Houston / American Forests

“The one thing I always tell people, at least with the Labor Day fires is: not all is lost. We still have a lot of green trees out there. Sure, we lost a lot, but we still have a forest. There’s still places you can go recreate and see green trees. And it’s not going to look like the forest you remember. But there is hope in what remains.”

A fly fisherman spey casting on the Wilson River near the Tillamook Forest Center, an area devastated by the Tillamook Burn over 70 years ago but has since rebounded. Photo Credit: Jason Houston / American Forests

The post A tale of two burns appeared first on American Forests.

But their quiet belies the powerful ways they help us as we go about our everyday lives. Their branches provide shade when it’s hot and block harsh winds in the cold. Their mere presence can lift our mood.

Our connection to city trees takes many forms. On a sweltering summer day in Phoenix, a group of boys play beneath the palo verde trees at a community garden while their parents attend an outdoor yoga class. And across town, college students take a break from shooting a documentary film for which a leafy park sets the stage. Old or young, city dwellers turn to these green, shady spots when they exercise, relax and take the time to breathe. In a very real way, the quality of our health depends on trees. And their health depends on our care. From one corner of the cityscape to another, trees are central to our lives.

Two brothers spend quality time together playing soccer in the fields of Mitchell Park in Tempe, Ariz. Photo Credit: Michael Jennings / American Forests

Visual Artist Steven John Irby stops to take a selfie on a Bed-Stuy basketball court on his way to his apartment in New York, N.Y. Behind him sits an affordable housing building adorned with some of the biggest trees on the street. When Irby is creating, he asks himself, “Which moments are worth stopping time for?” Photo Credit: Steven John Irby

A group of boys take a play break under the shade trees at Spaces of Opportunity, a community garden space in south Phoenix. Photo Credit: Joel Clark / American Forests

A woman finds a moment to journal beneath the trees in Philadelphia’s Clark Park. Photo Credit: Koren Martin / American Forests

A woman embraces a scenic route where she takes her dog for daily walks through Phoenix’s Encanto Park. Photo Credit: Michael Jennings / American Forests

Arizona State University film students gather at a park to collaborate on a film project. Photo Credit: Michael Jennings / American Forests

The post Trees are a fixture of urban life appeared first on American Forests.

WINNER: “Ready to Bounce” by Thomas Cluderay
“This photo encapsulates the way the trees — alive or dead — in the forests are essential to life, showing the fungi growing on the tree, the tree sheltering the owl, and the green leaves of live trees muted in the background, which sustain us all with essential oxygen.” — @lilroaringmouse, Twitter

“Beary Tired” by Jennifer Kardiak
“There is something extra unique and special about a bear sleeping high in the tree branches — that isn’t seen as often and makes for my favorite forest picture.” — Gloria M., Facebook

“Portrait of a Maple Leaf” by Peggy Yaeger
“I love focusing on and seeing the small details that make a forest.” — @aspeelman3, Instagram

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Kinley Bollinger
“Captures the breadth, beauty and abundance of our forested landscape.” — @RogueLoonWoman7, Twitter

For more amazing photography, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The post Last Look: 2022 Forests in Focus People’s Choice appeared first on American Forests.

1ST PLACE: “Evening on Lake McDonald”
PHOTOGRAPHER: Rebecca Long, senior manager of digital strategy
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “I’m fortunate to have a brother who is a National Park Service Police officer who has worked at a few gorgeous national parks across the country. He spent three summers at Glacier National Park, and I was able to visit him and get a behind-the-scenes tour. He took me on a variety of trails, both heavily travelled and backcountry, but a car pull-off along Going-to-the-Sun Road at Lake McDonald produced my favorite photo of the trip.”

2ND PLACE: “Foggy Morning at the Capilano River Hatchery”
PHOTOGRAPHER: Lindsey Putz, senior director of corporate partnerships
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “I love to extend business trips to explore the area and was very excited to get out of the city and into the natural wonders surrounding Vancouver. I was initially disappointed it was a stereotypical overcast, misting Pacific Northwest day, but that quickly turned into awe as I hiked along the Capilano Pacific Trail. The fog hung heavy on the trees, creating a beautiful mystery to the forest. It’s a hike I dream about still four years later.”

3RD PLACE: “Blue Lakes under Mt. Rainier”
PHOTOGRAPHER: Geri Rosenberg, senior manager of geospatial development and analysis
PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “I took this photo in July of 2021 near Chinook Pass in Washington. I thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail southbound. I had been hiking around beautiful clear views of Mt. Rainier for days when I saw this intensely blue lake near Chinook Pass and took this photo 20 miles into my day.”

The post American Forests’ staff photo contest winners appeared first on American Forests.

“We identify the key environmental issues in our world as they relate to habitats or species, find the leaders in those issues like American Forests, and then look to support them with high caliber, blue chip, science-based media to advance their strategies and achieve their outcomes,” Bowman says.

In a scene from the film, a grizzly bear tears into a red squirrel’s hidden stash of pinecones. Grizzlies and red squirrels rely on seeds from whitebark pine trees, which are disappearing across their range and are the focus of an ambitious restoration plan under development by American Forests and partners. Photo Credit: Cornell Lab or Ornithology's Center for Conservation Media

By combining compelling visuals, under-represented voices and cutting-edge data visualizations, the center has helped galvanize international support to protect African gray parrots from illegal wildlife trade, worked with communities and governments to save the critically endangered Philippine eagle, and highlighted the urgent need to protect habitat for America’s endangered sage grouse.

For the past two and a half years, team members have traversed the western U.S. to produce a documentary film and other content that will build awareness and support for restoring whitebark pine, which is imperiled by the deadly blister rust fungus. The star of the show is a plucky bird known as Clark’s nutcracker, which has developed a unique relationship with whitebark pine that is central to the survival of both species and to others such as grizzly bears and red squirrels.

“This beautiful film takes you into the world of whitebark pines, grizzly bears and people, and is a critical part of our work to inspire action to save this ecosystem,” says Eric Sprague, American Forests’ vice president of forest restoration.

The post Cornell’s Center for Conservation Media: Storytellers on the trail of the whitebark pine appeared first on American Forests.

In addition to this, Nespresso has planted over 5.2 million trees since 2014 to capture carbon from the atmosphere while building a regenerative agricultural system. Since coffee berries thrive in shade, it makes sense to invest in forest conservation and tree-planting, but Nespresso’s interest goes far beyond helping cultivate its own crop.

The company aims to make a meaningful contribution to the health of the planet and the communities that produce and consume its coffee, which includes 120,000 farmers in 15 countries and consumers all over the world.

“We think about the communities in which we operate,” says Anna Marciano, general counsel and head of sustainability, Nespresso USA. “We’re always looking at it from both perspectives: How do we care for people and planet at the same time?”

It’s this question that sparked the unique partnership between Nespresso and American Forests in 2021. Nespresso’s holistic approach to environmental action — their care for localized community impact in concert with conservation gains — dovetails with American Forests’ approach to place-based action.

Together, they are planting over 100,000 seedlings in priority landscapes across the country: Hawaii, Texas, California and New Jersey. From helping create habitat for the threatened ocelot in south Texas to conserving the forest home of endangered songbirds in Hawaii, Nespresso and American Forests are working together on highly targeted and effective conservation priorities.

Nespresso has supported the planting of 5,000 seedlings on Hawaii’s Big Island, restoring approximately 15 acres. Photo Credit: Hawai’i Forest Institute

But Nespresso is doing much more than simply helping plant trees. The company is the inaugural corporate supporter for American Forests’ effort to collect native seeds in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. With only 10% of the area’s native forests remaining, seed collection is essential for future sustainability. When American Forests approached Nespresso about addressing this need, the company’s support was strong and immediate, and included supporting the collection of 122 pounds of native seed.

“Nespresso has long been an innovator in sustainability, helping to advance systems-level solutions,” says Jad Daley, American Forests president and chief executive officer. “Through our new partnership, Nespresso is helping promote this kind of lasting change in the reforestation movement by helping American Forests meet the growing demand for seed collection and tree nursery capacity.”

Nespresso has also used its marketing reach to help raise awareness about the need to protect ecosystems. A campaign around the company’s Kona coffee focused on restoration efforts in Hawaii, and Nespresso used their presence at Art Basel in Miami last year to raise additional funds for American Forests through consumer sampling efforts. More recently, Nespresso urged customers to take a moment on Earth Day to enjoy a coffee break and experience the sights and sounds of forests virtually.“If you stay true to your authentic self and find organizations to collaborate with that align to your values or enhance what you’re trying to do, the results in working together are that much stronger,” says Marciano. The Nespresso-American Forests partnership is proof positive.

The post For Nespresso, coffee cultivation sparks need to care for forests and communities appeared first on American Forests.

My immediate reaction was to sell my gas guzzling car, turn off lights like our planet depends on it, and scour my personal life for every way I was contributing to the greatest environmental threat we have ever faced. I was not alone. Books like “50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth” were popular then, and personal action was treated like a serious piece of the climate action puzzle.

I regret this is not so much the case anymore. In fact, many in the climate action movement seem intent to convince individuals that their own choices are irrelevant, and that our only hope is for government leaders and businesses to implement systems-level changes that will force us to do the right thing. To be sure, systems-level changes are absolutely needed, but are less likely to take root if not fueled by collective individual action. Unfortunately, these strident climate voices embrace fear as their primary mode of persuasion, figuring that if the warnings from scientists grow dire enough, we will suddenly have a whole- sale shift in our politics and economy, motivated by a fearful citizenry.

This isn’t working. Fear that one cannot personally act on too often inspires paralysis, not mobilization. Far too many people in our country right now are mired in climate despair and feeling a lack of personal agency to do something about it other than “vote and hope” every few years.

The excitement about using trees and forests as a climate solution is strongly tied to the fact that everyone can relate to trees, and even play a role in planting and caring for them. Photo Credit: Ruth Hoyt / American Forests

Hope comes from feeling the power to be part of a solution. I have seen again and again that the most dedicated and effective advocates for others to take climate action, like a citizen speaking to a member of Congress, are those who can speak from the conviction of living the change themselves.

And the pace of change in our economy will be directly tied to the actions of consumers, not just the choices of corporate CEOs. Those electric cars that must become our new normal, for example, won’t drive off the lot on their own. Businesses need us to show that we will hold up our end of the bargain and purchase climate friendly products at the first opportunity. We might eventually force needed changes from the top down with governmental action, but we will lose valuable years of climate action in the process if we can’t match government mandates with individual buy-in.

So, what does this mean for the work of American Forests? A whole lot. You see, we are finding that the excitement about using trees and forests as a climate solution is strongly tied to the fact that everyone can relate to trees, and even play a role in planting and caring for them. That’s why, for example, youth groups such as the Girl Scouts of the USA and faith-based organizations like EcoSikh, Evangelical Environmental Network and Laudato Tree are all embracing tree planting as a way for concerned citizens to take action.

And this action is not just limited to planting trees one at a time. We are seeing many of the same people who have become involved in community-based tree planting also become passionate advocates for massive government, corporate and nonprofit efforts to plant Tree Equity across whole cities and reforest millions of acres across damaged forest landscapes. Who better to explain to public officials the power of trees to solve climate change than someone who has personally put in the time and effort to plant one!

As we seek to lead America and the world to embrace trees and forests as a climate solution, American Forests will continue to hold true to the belief that no contribution is too small when you are building a movement, and to create diverse ways for our members to participate in advancing forest solutions. We are also doubling down on our leadership of the 1t.org US Chapter, an unprecedented coalition we created with the World Economic Forum to empower individual and societal action because we understand how deeply they are connected. With hope in our hearts and locked arm-in-arm as one nation under trees, we really can do anything, even conserve, restore and grow 1 trillion trees worldwide to help solve climate change.

Thank you for taking the individual action to be part of American Forests and part of this movement!

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