PATT 10 COMMANDMENTS of RESPONSIBLE TREE PLANTING

1. We will aim to regenerate degraded areas back to natural forest
   

We work in forest regeneration projects on government land or national parks. We fund conservation, reforestation and forest restoration projects. This means we are planting trees on degraded land to restore the area to back to natural forest. Our project aim is that we are restoring degraded or denuded land, so when some trees eventually die, there is natural regeneration as with in any forest. This is a carbon sink. Forests in the tropics are effective carbon sinks. They also help regulate rainfall, sustain watersheds, and provide food and habitats for countless animals.

1. We will not plant plantations for carbon sequestration or to harvest trees
   

We don't plant in plantation projects and or harvest the timber. Our aim is to plant native trees for conservation.

1. We will plant on protected land
   

Our projects are on protected land such as but not limited to national parks or government land set aside for conservation. We will not conduct reforestation projects on private property or public land which may be sold or developed in the future putting the survival of trees in danger, except in the case of an urban forestry project.

1. We will plant a large variety of native species
   

We work with experienced partners on forest restoration that have experience in selecting appropriate native species to provide the framework for natural regeneration. Often a nursery will be set up nearby the site and seeds collected from the immediate area for germination to ensure species are local to the immediate area.

1. We will work with experienced and reputable organisations
   

The organisations we work with to implement projects are experts in their fields and include university forestry departments, government environmental agencies and non government conservation organisations. We have every confidence in them and we monitor projects regularly.

1. We will work with local authorities
   

We always cooperate with local authorities such as village councils, district government, national parks authorities and the government environmental and forestry department on projects within their jurisdiction.

1. We will always work with local people such and villagers and incorporate their needs in our projects
   

In area such as South East Asia, trees can have extended development benefits. We engage local villagers who can directly benefit from projects in their area. They benefit from the restoration of watersheds, soil quality improvement and a return of biodiversity. They may also benefit from being directly employed in the project to monitor and maintain seedlings, for fire prevention and trained to run a nursery (capacity building) among other things. In some cases, funding from planting, maintaining and protecting trees can be used for funding village development projects for sustainable economic development.

1. We will promote reduction of carbon dioxide emissions before offsetting
   

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a key greenhouse gas which is contributing to climate change. At PATT we believe reducing CO2 emissions is the most vital step in combating climate change. We encourage everyone to be aware of their energy usage and its effects, and take steps to reduce this. Our website features 14 things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. In addition we are involved in emissions reduction campaigns on various levels.

1. We will budget for maintenance and monitoring to ensure minimum mortality and success of projects
   

Budgets for projects may include up to 3 years of maintenance and monitoring costs so every effort to ensure success is made. By the time seedling are that age, they are usually big enough to survive conditions and fight against weeds and other trees. Monitoring may also include fire prevention strategies. We will not plant trees and walk away.

1. We will replant trees which have been destroyed
   

In the event of a natural disaster such as fire, flood or disease outbreak which destroys trees, PATT will undertake to replant the equal number of trees in the most suitable project at the earliest convenience. However, for natural mortality (thinning) in a forest type scenario there will be natural regeneration in the same place and another tree will grow to replace it and also take up the carbon released. 


Some information on trees and carbon sequestration


Forests – a vital carbon sink


Trees absorb carbon dioxide and are vital carbon sinks. It is estimated that the world's forests store 283 Gigatonnes of carbon in their biomass alone, and that carbon stored in forest biomass, deadwood, litter and soil together is roughly 50 per cent more than the carbon in the atmosphere.

UNEP

As globally important storehouses of carbon, forests play a critical role in influencing the Earth's climate. Forest plants and soils drive the global carbon cycle by sequestering carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and releasing it through respiration. Although carbon uptake by photosynthesis eventually declines as trees age, many mature forests continue to sequester carbon in their soils.
 

Union of Concerned Scientists


Planting forests, managing existing forests, and changing land uses and farming practices can all lead to more carbon being sequestered and thus provide an effective way of combating climate change. Forests play an important role in the carbon cycle removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it as carbon in plant material and soil. Half a tree's mass is carbon, so large amounts of carbon are stored in forests - the total stored in all of the forests on Earth is estimated to be 1,150 billion tonnes of carbon. Planting forests can provide a relatively cost-effective way of creating a carbon sink, where more carbon dioxide is being removed from the atmosphere than is being released.


Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Accounting –Australia