California project overview
The combination of low precipitation and record high temperatures during California's most recent drought (2012-16) resulted in dramatically increased tree mortality and large, severe wildfires. The State Forest Service now spends over 50% of its budget fighting fires, when a decade ago it was less than 20%.
Our involvement in this project was due to our deal with Fortune 200 business process services giant, SYNNEX, who were the first in the US to benefit with our carbon neutral, remanufactured laptops.
Location:
California
Project timeline:
2011 - (ongoing)
Project goals:
Restore areas affected by wildfires throughout the whole of California, thus producing ecological benefits such as habitat restoration and erosion control. With these funds, hard-working foresters will dedicate time to promote improved vegetation planning and resource management, helping to reduce the risk of catastrophic fires and floods in the region.
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Circular Computing allocated over 17,827 trees with One Tree Planted for the California project.
Why intervention?
Five years of drought and a large-scale bark beetle infestation have seriously damaged California's forests. 2017's record-breaking wildfire season burned more than 1.3 million acres - an area the size of Delaware. 2020's fire season has consumed close to 3 million acres, resulting in hundreds of millions of trees that are needing to be restored.
After wildfire, vegetation plays an important role in preventing erosion, producing clean water, and maintaining wildlife habitat. Re-establishing native vegetation also helps control invasive species.
California's forests need active management in order to improve their health, reduce the risk of major wildfires and pest infestations, and protect this beautiful natural playground for future generations. Our amazing reforestation partners work with several forestry assistance programs as well as private landowners, aiming to improve the health and productivity of forest lands.
Project stories
The human factor in California
From arborists to loggers and researchers, the job opportunities provided by the forestry industry are endless. We do not just rely on trees for work, though. Sustainable tree farming provides timber to build homes and shelters, and wood to burn for cooking and heating. Food-producing trees provide fruit, nuts, berries, and leaves for consumption by both humans and animals, and pack a powerful nutritional punch.
As well as recovering fire-damaged lands, reforestation in California will help restore native species that are endangered by fungus and bark beetle infestations, such as the Sugar Pine.
A single tree can be home to hundreds of species of insect, fungi, moss, mammals, and plants. Depending on the kind of food and shelter they need, different forest animals require different types of habitat.
Without trees, forest creatures would have nowhere to call home. In terms of biodiversity, reforestation is essential to California and its ecosystem.
Project benefits
Reducing wildfires & improving resilience
Reforestation helps prevent wildfires in California from spreading catastrophically. Young, healthy forests can help suppress future wildfires and reduce the impact of smoke on public health for both the human population and wildlife.
Planting trees in California will help create resilient forests that can absorb and recover from fire, drought, and insect outbreaks. Also threatened local species like the Sugar Pine can effectively be saved, which is important for the legacy of California's tree conservation.
Protecting the water supply
Two-thirds of California's surface water supply comes from its mountainous forests. Improving the health of these headwater forests will make them more resilient to drought and long-term climate change.
Trees play a key role in capturing rainwater and reducing the risk of natural disasters like floods and landslides. Their intricate root systems act like filters, removing pollutants and slowing down the water's absorption into the soil. This process prevents harmful waterslide erosion and reduces the risk of over-saturation and flooding.
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Association, a mature evergreen tree can intercept more than 15,000 litres of water every year.
Together we can make more of these projects become a reality
When a Circular Computing laptop is purchased, not only do you get a leading-brand carbon neutral remanufactured laptop, but you also help invest in clean energy projects around the world and finance five trees to be planted in your name, through our reforestation partners.
In the modern world, it is easy to feel powerless...but the actions of each and every one of us counts.
