Posts Tagged ‘trees’
204 Trees Planted for World Record Attempt
Thursday, December 10th, 2009
On Saturday Richard Brooks and Malcolm Brooks planted 204 trees for the Tree O’Clock BBC tree planting world record attempt. The result of the attempt is not in yet but K International was happy to be involved and hope to plant another 100 trees very soon.
The process of planting trees is not easy; it takes care and a lot of hard graft to get the job done. Firstly, they prepared the ground by digging a trench 75 yards in length, 12 inches deep and 8 inches across. Whilst doing this they dug up all sort of interesting items.
“This was fun because there was lots of old stuff in there, under the ground, bit like being on Time Team.” Richard Brooks commented.
Next the baby tree had to be checked and trimmed. A protective wire/plastic was then placed around the small tree to keep it safe from animals. It is imperative that the trees are protected to survive. Then the tree was planted in the trench.
Everyone at K International is eagerly waiting to find out if the Tree O’Clock world record attempt has been a success. All contributions must be logged on the BBC Breathing Places website by Friday 11th December to count towards the world record.
People in Northern Ireland have already set a world record - the most trees planted by 100 people. This world record is for trees planted by hand, by no more than 100 people, at a single site, within a single hour.
Tree O’Clock teams at three sites set out to break the existing record of 18,124. Guinness World Records have verified that each of them achieved this.
So if you planted a tree get onto the BBC Breathing Places website, follow the instructions and be a part of this amazing tree planting world record attempt.
Tags: BBC, BBC Breathing Places, Environment, Guinness World Records, K International, Tree O'Clock, Tree Planting, trees, World Record
Posted in Charity, Environment, K International, Television, trees | No Comments »
National Tree Week
Friday, November 27th, 2009
25th November – 6th December
National tree week started back in 1975 and is the UKs largest tree celebration.
It is a great opportunity for communities to do something positive for their local treescape. Lots of events will be going on around the country, with more than a quarter of a million people getting their hands dirty helping to plant trees in their local area.
On Saturday 5th December the BBC are attempting a world record for the most trees planted in a day. The tree planting world record currently stands at just over 650,000 trees planted in one day. In aid of Tree O’clock two of the guys here Malcolm and Richard Brooks will be planting 302 trees. The trees planted will be a mixture of native species. If they can plant 200 in one hour they will receive a commemorative plaque from the BBC.
For those who are new to the log blog, K International are a language translation company based in Milton Keynes. We care about the environment and we are doing our bit to make our company carbon neutral. In 2008 we pledged to plant 50,000 trees over the next 5 years, this year we have planted 6,250 on a 2.5 hectare site and are on track to hit target with many more trees going in next year.
This week is about appreciating the humble tree and recognising what they do for us. So grab your wellies and a spade and muck in on 5th December from 11am – 12 noon.
Have a look at the BBC Breathing Places website and check out Tree O’clock.
Maybe you could pledge to plant a tree yourself in your garden or somewhere in your local community. On the website there is a list of hardware stores and garden centres that are giving away free trees for details see the BBC Breathing Places website.
Tags: BBC, Community Event, K International, Nature, trees, World Record
Posted in Environment, Television | No Comments »
Cathedral of Trees
Thursday, May 7th, 2009
Milton Keynes is known as the city of trees, despite being one of the UK’s most successful purpose built towns it has retained as much of the local greenery as possible.
In Newlands, opposite Willen Lake stands Milton Keynes cathedral it’s a little unconventional; it’s made out of trees.
The outline of the cathedral is based on Norwich Cathedral and was designed in 1986 by landscape architect Neil Higson.
Different species of trees were used to represent the character of each of the cathedrals sections: Hornbeam and tall-growing lime for the nave, evergreens to represent the central tower and spires, flowering cherry and apple as a focus in the chapels.
In the spring a wide range of colourful bulbs appear, these were put in to represent the sun shining through stained glass windows on the ground.
A poem by Steve Clark celebrates this unusual city feature.
Cathedral of trees
Among the arches of oak and yew,
Grown great on rain and dew,
I sense a lesson to be learned.
The northern wind in branch and bow,
Gives ministry to fawn and sow,
A quantum peace that I’ve not heard.
No font to wash away my sins,
But a rambling brook, who’s tumbling din,
Tells tales in tones of clarity and purity.
No stained glass here, depicts a life,
Of servitude and mortal strife,
First taken then risen to infinity.
Each branch it seems, a crafted beam,
Where prayers, the carriers of dreams,
Pass between, with no account of whispered secrets, not for all.
The leaves that gently kiss my feet,
Demand no thought for their upkeep,
But lie again anew each autumn fall.
The catacombs, silent below,
Are tended to by shrew and vole,
Who’s work I’ll never know, dutiful and patient.
Something else I never knew,
The tree that fell and is my pew,
Gave up itself, so I could sit in quiet contemplation.
Would man make such sacrifice,
That I find peace, give up a life,
When suddenly I laugh, I see it all.
My being here is meant to be,
This great design, is mine to see,
It brings me gently to my knees.
For here is God,
In his Cathedral of trees.
Steve Clark.
Tags: Cathedral, Milton Keynes, trees
Posted in trees | 1 Comment »
Trees are Getting Bigger and Better
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009
According to Greenpeace rainforest trees are getting bigger, which is excellent in the battle against climate change.
A group of scientists who are reporting on a 40 year study of African tropical forests have found that over the past few decades each hectare of intact African forest has trapped an extra 0.6 tonnes of carbon per year.
Dr Simon Lewis, a Royal Society research fellow at the University of Leeds, and the lead author of the paper says that “we are receiving a free subsidy from nature,” because “tropical forest trees are absorbing about 18 per cent of the CO2 added to the atmosphere each year from burning fossil fuels, substantially buffering the rate of climate change”.
This study has been based on 3 major forests, the Amazon in South America, the Paradise Forests in south east Asia, and the forests of the Congo Basin in central Africa. Each one an essential part of the worlds eco system, slowly helping to remove some of the carbon monoxide we produce daily.
Dr Lee White, co-author on the study and Gabon’s chief climate change scientist, said: “To get an idea of the value of the sink, the removal of nearly 5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by intact tropical forests, based on realistic prices for a tonne of carbon, should be valued at around £13 billion per year. This is a compelling argument for conserving tropical forests.”
Rainforests are amazing they actually suck the carbon monoxide from the air, expelling oxygen. These rainforest are slowly being destroyed basically for human pleasure.
Unfortunately, at the moment we are not valuing these ancient forests for what they provide. Worldwide, rainforests are still being cut down and degraded at a staggering rate. They urgently need protecting. Charities like Greenpeace are doing all they can to highlight this issue to people in position of power so that something will be done.
Funding and education are essential to the cause so that the people living in these forests can understand their importance and see value in keeping the forests how they are rather than cutting them down.
We all know the world is changing perhaps this study will finally highlight the importance of trees. Forests have been destroyed all over the world and each hectare which disappears takes away some of our protection from Co2 and climate change.
It is estimated that 13 million hectares of the worlds forests are destroyed each year, 6 million of these have been largely untouched and undisturbed by man.
The result of this major deforestation is a loss of habitat for wildlife and also a reduction or complete removal of the ecosystem services provided by these forests.
Its time to stop, look and listen… we can not afford to keep destroying the planet in this way, no matter how much economic value is in the land and trees themselves.
Tags: Climate Change, Forest, global warming, Greenpeace, rainforest, science, trees, wildlife
Posted in Environment, trees | No Comments »
Trees and the Environment
Friday, February 1st, 2008
Why are we planting all of these trees, anyway?
One reason, of course, would be to simply restore the landscape of the old coal mine to its original glory. However, there’s another reason that’s even more important-trees also benefit the environment in a plethora of different ways. For example, they can absorb greenhouse gases and fight global warming, clean the air we breathe, and nourish many different types of wildlife.
Trees are nature’s soldiers in the fight against global warming. As they feed themselves, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in the form of carbohydrates. The stored carbon remains locked inside the body of tree, keeping it out of the atmosphere. Since carbon dioxide is one of the most common greenhouse gases, planting trees can help put the brakes on the greenhouse effect.
Tags: carbon dioxide, Environment, Forest, global warming, greenhouse, trees
Posted in Environment | No Comments »