Below are links to descriptions of funded stewardship projects in the field of Carbon Sequestration. Some are only short descriptions, others are more robust articles that have been published in The Earth Scientist. We hope they inspire you to take positive environmental actions within your community, and consider applying to NOAA Planet Stewards for funding.

The Giving Trees

(John - High school teacher, Mishawaka, IN)

Students prepare to plant 125 three-to-four year old pear and apple trees at their school and in the local community

As the climate changes, the need for food producing plants in a greater variety of locations will become essential. Indiana’s temperature increased by 1℉ over the last two decades and heavy precipitation events are occurring. The use of trees to produce food provides a diverse source in the face of monocultures that could be more susceptible to flooding. Additionally, John wanted, over time, reduce the amount of carbon released in the atmosphere by giving the community options for locally grown fruit and his community and his students to see themselves as stewards of nature.

John enlisted the help of his 10th and 12th grade biology students to prepare and plant 125 three-to-four year old pear and apple trees at his school and in the local community. An additional 75 students helped graft trees for future planting. In total, the student spent almost 300 hours engaged in stewardship activities. In the first year, the trees will sequester 62 lbs. of CO2. Over a 15 year estimate life of the trees, they will sequester an estimate 65 tons of carbon

John became a NOAA Planet Steward in 2018 and is a high school biology teacher who sponsors his school’s Korean Club and TEAMS Engineering group.

Planting with Purpose: Carbon Sequestration and Co-benefits of Trees

(Kathryn - Nurture Nature Center, PA)

Educational poster that the Palisades High School students researched and designed to educate about the importance of trees in helping sequester carbon, among other benefits.

This project sought to educate local high school students about climate change and trees’ role in carbon sequestration and engage them in planting trees in neighboring parks and tracking the trees’ growth to understand how carbon can be sequestered. The project demonstrated to students that they can make a difference in their local communities and that their actions can be part of larger solutions, even in the face of global issues like climate change.

A total of 30 students planted about 100 trees at two locations in Bucks County (Nockamixon Park and Peppermint Park). Over the next 50 years, the trees are estimated to sequester 50,804.3 kg of carbon, reduce 616.5 cubic meters of stormwater runoff, reduce 181,005.6 kWh of electricity use, and remove 260.6 kg/avoid 1,637.3 kg of air pollution. The students also visited the City of Easton’s micro forest and met the City Forester, saw the Nurture Nature Center’s Science on a Sphere exhibit for a program on climate change, and learned about science communication. They did research about the benefits of planting trees to create their own flyers to educate about and promote their efforts to other students.