A
student tree-planting project aims to reduce atmospheric carbon while connecting
nature with community and permaculture with campus
Students
in the U-M Graham Sustainability Institute’s Environment 391: Sustainability and
the Campus (ENV 391). planted a dozen sequoia trees in Nichols Arboretum on
April 25. The planting was the culmination of a group project aimed at taking
carbon out of the atmosphere by planting old-growth trees.
We
spoke with Isa Gaillard about the project. Gaillard, who heads the class group,
is a Graham Undergraduate Sustainability Scholar and co-chair of the Native
American Student Association. ENV 391 is taught by Michael Shriberg, the Graham
Institute’s Education Director, and uses the U-M campus as a “living-learning
laboratory” to actively explore ecological, social, and economic dimensions of
sustainability.
Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols
Arboretum: Give us some background on the project.
Isa Gaillard: Several classmates
and I created a project called “Planting Old Growth Sequoia Trees to Sequester
Carbon.” The project sought to formulate a comprehensive argument as to why the
University of Michigan should get behind it and make space available for the
trees. The carbon sequestration aspect of our project is one of the strongest
points that we can use to do this, along with the potential for community
action and ecological development on or near campus. Professor Shriberg offered
planning and visionary support, our project sponsor Nathan Ayers of Chiwara
Permaculture provided permaculture training, and the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive donated the
old-growth champion sequoia trees.
 |
| Students and Matthaei-Nichols staff pose in front of the sequoia trees at the Washington Hts. entrance to the Arb last Friday, April 25. |
Matthaei-Nichols: What inspired you to
pursue this particular project?
Gaillard: As the
co-chair of the Native American Student Association I saw this as an
opportunity to increase awareness of the long and rich history of trees in the
state of Michigan. As a student planning to study environmental policy and
someone with a deep interest in indigenous wisdom, I felt inspired to go beyond
the concept of living sustainably, to living cooperatively—thriving by
connecting nature with community and permaculture with the campus.
Matthaei-Nichols: Why did you choose the
sequoia tree?
Gaillard: While there
were some initial concerns about whether this tree could successfully grow in
this region and climate, our project is the first of its kind, so what we are
doing is groundbreaking in the sense that there is no guarantee of how these
trees will do. However, permaculture in practice and as taught to us by our
sponsor Nathan Ayers is built on biodiversity. So, while the sequoias may not
be native to Michigan, we can optimize the surrounding ecosystem’s success if
we plant the trees using permaculture principles and a long-term vision for the
trees’ success.
Matthaei-Nichols: The Archangel Ancient
Tree Archive’s mission is to propagate the world's most important old-growth
trees before they are gone. How did this initially influence your decision to
accept trees from this organization?
Gaillard: Archangel
co-founder David Milarch came and spoke with the U-M Permaculture Design team. During
his visit he donated a “champion” sequoia tree clone and said that he would
supply the university with as many trees as needed.
 |
| An individual sequoia ready to be planted. |
Matthaei-Nichols: How did you present
your case for the project to the University of Michigan?
Gaillard: In order to
achieve the University’s Planet Blue Initiative goal of reducing carbon
emissions 25% by 2025, the University will have to mitigate its carbon
emissions by 200,080 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. Many different
strategies are needed to make this goal a reality, but planting old-growth
sequoias in a permaculture food forest is one long-term strategy that
incorporates a lot of potential benefits. These trees are one of the best at sequestering
carbon, and they take out an increasing amount throughout their lifespan. When
fully mature they sequester carbon at a rate more than 30 times that of other
old-growth trees. Additionally, the trees can provide shade for a vast number
of other plants including apple trees, blackberry shrubs, alfalfa, and clover.
The possibilities for ecosystem services within a permaculture forest are
limitless: from food, shade, and shelter for animals to soil retention,
fertilization, and more. Other groups on the U-M campus are working to create
these “food forests”— the Campus Farm, the Native American Student Association,
and the Student Animals and Society Institute. So our project is part of a
larger collaborative effort with educational, communal, and diversity
components tied together to help bring the University closer to many of its
different goals, all while enhancing the beauty and sustainability of our
campus and the broader community.
Matthaei-Nichols: What implications does
your project have for what we can learn, what the University will gain, and
what the project will realize?
Gaillard: This project
has far-reaching implications in the sphere of sustainability and, more
specifically, for carbon sequestration and the mitigation of greenhouse gases.
Our vision for a permaculture forest using sequoias as the canopy tree species
is the first of its kind and will set a precedent for other academic
institutions seeking options to decrease their own carbon footprint. There is
little extant research on the carbon sequestration capabilities of a forest
like the one we have designed. Consequently, this project can serve as an
example and inform future research of its kind.
Matthaei-Nichols: How many trees did you
plant?
Gaillard: We planted 12
trees. Each is about one and half feet high and about a year old.
********
Environment
391 is an interactive, interdisciplinary course that draws on theory and
practice in sustainability, environmental management, organizational change,
and social advocacy. In this class students conduct a substantial, hands-on
group project in conjunction with a university sponsor. Through site visits,
guest lectures, discussions, lectures and the group projects, the course
addresses real-life challenges of campus sustainability. Students complete the
course with an understanding of the campus as a lever for social/environmental
change and with the personal tools to act as change agents.
Previous
projects have created or helped launch major initiatives at the University of
Michigan, including: the Campus Farm at Matthaei Botanical Gardens, the Ann Arbor
bike share program, the “Go Blue Box” reusable container takeout program, the
“How to be a Green Wolverine” guide, greening of commencement and Camp
Michigania, and more.
Nathan
Ayers is the director of Chiwara
Permaculture,
a Michigan-based research, education, design and incubation firm that focuses
on permaculture solutions.
The
Archangel Ancient Tree Archive propagates the world’s old growth trees before
they are gone; archives the genetics of ancient trees in living libraries around
the world for the future; and reforests the earth with the offspring of these
trees to provide beneficial ecosystem services.
