A TREE FOR NATURE, A TREE FOR THE CLIMATE, AND A TREE FOR YOU
Human-induced climate change is a global issue that is starting to become more and more apparent in many parts of the world. Glaciers and ice sheets are shrinking, plant and animal geographic ranges are diminishing, and plants and trees are blooming sooner. Climate change catastrophes are rarely out of the news with increasing levels of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide enhancing the natural greenhouse effect and accelerating irreversible changes in the climate.
Here at Trust Matters, we have accelerated our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint by recycling our waste, reducing energy output on heating, and lighting, and shutting down PCs in the evening. We’ve installed an electric vehicle charging point and we’re using recycled paper manufactured in a sustainable facility.
We’ve done this because, like many of our clients, we understand the need to mitigate global warming as much as we can and as soon as we can.
In 2022 we made a commitment to plant a native tree on behalf of each and every one of our clients, existing and new. To do this, we have partnered with the Tree Council of Ireland (Comhairle Crann na hÉireann) and we are in the process of creating a woodland to help towards the global effort to mitigate climate change.
While this is a small gesture in the overall scheme of things, it aligns closely with our values and is an important commitment for our team. Our aim is to plant a tree for every new client going forward so that as we grow our business, this forest grows to provide rich nourishment for the soil in the area and to become a breeding ground for wildlife.
The Tree Council is a non-governmental voluntary organisation that was set up in 1985 as an umbrella body for organisations involved in the establishment, management, and conservation of trees in Ireland. Their aim is to foster tree culture in Ireland through action and awareness.
Location of trees
We plant trees in the thriving village of Ballymacarbry, in northwest Co. Waterford. This land was acquired by the Tree Council to develop a community forest on the site which means that, in time, you can visit your tree.
Types of trees
The land is currently very lacking in biodiversity due to constant grazing. To help improve this we plant native trees; a mix of oak, birch, alder and scots pine.
Native trees are mainly broadleaved species and, depending on site conditions, are planted at a density of between 1,000 and 1,600 per acre (2,500 to 5,000 per ha). The land covered depends, therefore, on the number of trees planted. And as part of our tree planting project old streams will be restored and extensive wetland work will take place.
Woodland creation
Through sponsorship, every year The Tree Council plants the equivalent of approximately 150 acres (60 ha) of native woodland in Ireland. Over time these plantations grow into self-sustaining woodlands and remain in perpetuity. Once established, by law, the land cannot revert to a non-forest use.
It is with much thanks to the support of our clients that we are in a position to plant trees for the environment and for the benefit of future generations.