WINTER/SPRING 2021 BRINGING SONGBIRDS BACK TO HAWAII, ONE FOREST AT A TIME HOW RESTORING THE FORESTS OF MAUNA KEA IS ESSENTIAL TO THE CONTINUED SURVIVAL OF HAWAIIAN SONGBIRDS BE A GIANT JOIN THE SEQUOIA CIRCLE Your annual leadership gift of $1,000 or more makes you a giant for American Forests. Forests rely on keystone tree species — such as the giant sequoia — to stay healthy and resilient. In the same way, American Forests relies on our keystone supporters — Sequoia Circle members — to advance our mission with leadership-level gifts. Become a Sequoia Circle member today at americanforests.org/sequoiacircle Questions? Contact Emily Russell, director of major gifts, at [email protected] or 202-370-4522. AF_2019 House Ads_Full-Page_FINAL_2.indd 7 1/8/20 8:32 PM VOL. 127, NO. 1 CONTENTS WINTER/SPRING 2021 Departments 2 Offshoots A word from our President & CEO 4 Treelines INNOVATION: How City Forest Credits offers an innovative way to bring carbon markets to cities. PLACE-BASED PARTNERSHIPS: American Forests partners with Microsoft and Phoenix to plant and help trees thrive in a desert climate. 24 MOVEMENT BUILDING: Boise, Idaho is making an outsized commitment to reforestation. PROFILES: Learn about Tribute Store’s long- lasting, environmentally friendly way to honor loved ones and how one high school sophomore became an environmental ambassador. ACTION CENTER: Tips for taking beautiful photos in forests. WASHINGTON OUTLOOK: Learn about American Forests’ new recommendations for how the federal government can help create Tree Equity. 36 HISTORY: A look at the history of the American ReLeaf program, in celebration of its 30th anniversary. Features THE UNDERSTORY: What are urban 18 heat islands? MOTIVATIONAL MUSINGS: Inspiring words 18 from those fighting for our forests. Seeing the city for the trees FOREST FOOTNOTES: Exciting developments, outside of American Forests, By Morgan Heim in the field of forestry. The importance of engaging youth in urban forestry. 22 Earthkeepers 24 A BOND FORGED IN FIRE: BRITTANY AND GILBERT DYER The United States of fire How one couple’s passion for protecting and By Allison Guy restoring forests from wildfire initially ignited How “good” fire may be able to help save forests across America from being — and continues to fuel — their life together. devastated by “bad” fires. 48 Last Look A peak into the work of photographer and 36 poet Michelle Collison Meyer. Bringing songbirds back to Hawaii, BACK COVER FOLD-OUT one forest at a time Champion Tree Showcase By Katherine Gustafson Monterey cypress Discover how restoring the forests of Mauna Kea is essential to the continued CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE; AMANDA RICH; VAGABOND54/SHUTTERSTOCK COVER PHOTO: LEAH MESSER/USFWS RICH; VAGABOND54/SHUTTERSTOCK AMANDA FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE; U.S. FROM TOP: CLOCKWISE survival of Hawaiian songbirds. AMERICAN FORESTS WINTER/SPRING 2021 | 1 offshoots Many of American Forests’ volunteer events encourage youth to get involved, as shown here at our annual Rio Reforestation event in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. dream of, and they are showing social skills and an inclusive spirit that puts to shame the coarse public discourse that has too often overtaken our politics. I am sharing this because American Forests is putting youth right up front in our work. In our earlier years, we were focused on educating and activating youth. But that had slipped away entirely by the time I joined the organization three years ago. While it has forced us to restore some lost skills and relationships, we have committed to creating a strong place for youth partners in our programs. One embodiment of this commitment can be seen in the U.S. Chapter of 1t.org, which we lead with the World Economic Forum. We secured the Girl Scouts of the USA and Jane Goodall Institute’s youth Young leaders stand tall organization, Roots and Shoots, to serve as inaugural members of the chapter’s for forests and climate stakeholder council. They are helping us marry the interest of young people RENA SCHILD / SHUTTERSTOCK BY JAD DALEY in trees and forests with their concerns about slowing climate change and protecting biodiversity. WHEN I GRADUATED from college, that has mobilized millions of youth Our commitment is also present I faced a choice. Go to law school and and their supporters in the streets. in our development of a Tree Equity pursue environmental law or go into While I am impressed by their pas- movement in cities. Part of creating Tree environmental education. I chose sion, I am even more impressed by the Equity is encouraging young people, education because I believed skills and maturity of these particularly those in socioeconomically then, as I do now, that the young leaders. Frequently, disadvantaged communities, to embrace passion of young people can when I attend high-powered the power of trees as part of the larger be the engine to overcome our meetings of climate leaders, movements they are building to advance biggest challenges, such as the most confident and environmental and social equity, includ- climate change. eloquent voices in the room ing climate justice. Little did I know just are young people. They have We are also helping youth explore and how much young people worked hard to advance enter careers in urban forestry. We have would lead! And not just the their ideals, and you can a digital Career Pathways Action Guide, famous climate activist Greta Thun- see that they understand the craft of as well as a new initiative to increase par- berg. Youth are leading everywhere and communication. ticipation from youth of color in urban on all aspects of climate action, from The same is true with organizing. forestry education programs, which you indigenous youth leading forest conser- Youth activists are leveraging social can read more about in “Seeing the city vation to the school strike movement media in ways we older folks can only for the trees” on page 18. Likewise, in / AMERICAN FORESTS RUTH HOYT LEFT: ABOVE 2 | WINTER/SPRING 2021 AMERICAN FORESTS EDITORIAL STAFF Publisher Jad Daley Editorial Director Michele Kurtz Managing Editor Ashlan Bonnell Contributing Editors rural areas, we partner with the Sierra in the federal Climate Stewardship Act. Allison Guy and Jill Schwartz Contributing Writers Nevada Conservancy to help early career We also played an important advisory Allison Guy, Michele Kurtz, young people get a start in the vital work role in California’s new establishment Shanita Rasheed and Jill Schwartz Art Direction and Design of restoring climate-resilient forest of a Climate Corps. Brad Latham landscapes in California. The bottom line is this: Youth are American Forests’ mission is to restore All of these activities connect not waiting for their turn in line to threatened forest ecosystems and inspire people to value and protect to American Forests’ proud history lead. They are stepping up right now urban and wildland forests. in helping to establish the Civilian to move our country forward. We (202) 737-1944 Conservation Corps (CCC), which have the opportunity and obligation www.americanforests.org primarily engaged younger people. to empower this youth leadership AMERICAN FORESTS through trees and forests, BOARD OF DIRECTORS and to help channel this Richard Kabat, Chair Kabat Company, Washington, DC Youth are not waiting for their turn in line toward climate change and Jeff Elliott, Vice Chair and Treasurer to lead. They are stepping up right now other challenges. I hope Iridian Asset Management, Westport, CT that you share my excite- Bruce Lisman, Immediate Past Chair Private investor, Shelburne, VT to move our country forward. ment at the new power we Jad Daley, President & CEO (ex officio) can create for change by American Forests, Washington, DC William H. Bohnett drinking from this fountain President, Whitecap Investments LLC, With emphasis on generating new of youth leadership. Jupiter Island, FL economic activities that can help You will hear much more about this E. Zimmermann Boulos Office Environments & Services jump start our economy, and parallel from American Forests in the years Jacksonville, FL interest in stepping up investment in to come. Thanks for making stretch Jacques Cook JCook & Associates, LLC trees and forests, there is huge poten- moves like this possible! North Bethesda, MD tial for federal and state government Ara Erickson Weyerhaeuser, Seattle, WA to re-establish CCC-like programs. Tom Evslin American Forests’ policy team has been Vermont PBS, Stowe, VT helping to incubate proposals, such as a For more news and updates from Jad, William Hazelton Chubb Group, New York City, NY RENA SCHILD / SHUTTERSTOCK follow him on Twitter @JadDaley Climate Stewardship Corps provision David Hunter, Ph.D. Electric Power Research Institute Washington, DC Jeffrey Prieto Los Angeles Community College District, Los Angeles, CA Elisa Rapaport Rapaport Family Charitable Trust, Rockville Centre, NY Candace Dodson-Reed University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Ellicot City, MD Mary Wagner U.S. Forest Service (Retired), Ogden, UT Youth are leading everywhere on all aspects of climate action. ABOVE LEFT: RUTH HOYT / AMERICAN FORESTS RUTH HOYT LEFT: ABOVE treelines INFORMATION TO AMUSE, ENLIGHTEN AND INSPIRE INNOVATION Innovative financing brings carbon markets to cities THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE in the store, as well as other benefits the trees For any given tree planting project, United States talking about the need to provide to cities — such as less energy CFC calculates the carbon seques- plant more trees in cities — especially needing to be produced at power plants, tered and dollar value of benefits trees in socioeconomically disadvantaged fewer floods and cleaner air. Could will provide. That value is translated neighborhoods and some neighbor- concrete numbers like these help get the into “Carbon+ Credits” that are then hoods of color, where trees often are attention of investors? sold, often to companies and govern- sparse — seems to increase every day.