The Carbon Farmer
Creating forests on family land to sustain the farm and restore the boreal ecosystem.
Category:
Trees and farms
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Country:
Canada
Overview
What is it all about?
The afforestation project is sustaining a third generation family farm as it creates diverse and dynamic forests that will be representative of the original boreal ecosystem that once existed on the land. This will lead to increased biodiversity beyond plant life as insects, mammals and birds begin utilizing the habitat.
How does it work?
The main aim of the project is to afforest the lands of family farms so the farms and forests can be maintained for generations to come. The portions of land chosen are unable to produce crops efficiently and/or have high potential for habitat restoration. The planted tree species are native to the boreal region, primarily pine with some spruce and as no pesticides are used, the soon to be forests also get a natural infusion of poplar, willow and other natural understory.
The established Replanting Fund serves as a reserve in the event that the trees die from natural causes like fire, insect infestation or flooding. Third Party Assessments make sure that all calculations are accurate and matched to the particular conditions in the area, including climate.
Social benefits
Environmental benefits
Even though it is generally assumed that the tropics are the best place to plant forests to sequester carbon and cool the planet, studies show that in order to maximise climate benefits we should also be planting trees at higher latitudes. Planting forests in northern Russia, Canada and Europe would cool the climate more effectively than planting them in India, Brazil and most of China.
As approximately 327 bird species regularly occur in the Boreal - 30% of North America's landbirds, 40% of its waterfowls and 30% of its shorebirds nest in the wetlands of the Boreal Forest - it is extremely important to protect and expand these areas.
The change in land-use also improves water quality, especially with regard to the quantity of chemicals in water runoff.
Key project data
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Credits produced:
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Vintage of credits:2007, 2009, 2010
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Planned annual reduction:634 tCO2e
How reductions happen
Growing trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over their lifetime which is stored in their wood and bark. Most terrestrial carbon storage is in tree trunks, branches, foliage, and roots which is often called biomass. Forests collect carbon through the photosynthetic process. This capturing of atmospheric carbon by a healthy ecosystem is called a "carbon sink".
CO2 Storage Assessments
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CO2 reductions
Participants
- Owner: The Carbon Farmer Inc. (www.thecarbonfarmer.ca)
Milestones
- 07 July 2007 Dad's Forest planted:
- 18 July 2009 Mom's Forest planted:
- 03 July 2010 John's Forest planted:
How reductions are calculated
The basis for the offsets is centered on CO2 Storage Assessments, with one metric tonne CO2e being equivalent to one Carbon Plus Credit. In order to make sure that it is real reductions that offsetters promote, project developers chose to underestimate the carbon storage of their forests by taking the assessment total and converting only 90 percent of that assessed amount into Carbon Plus Credits.
Over the 60 years management period of the project, the CO2 reductions in Dad's Forest, Mom's Forest and John's Forest will be 1,060, 35,281 and 1,774 tCO2e respectively.
Location data
Location
Address:
Manning, Alberta, Canada
About the region
Wildlife
The four climatic regions (alpine, boreal forest, parkland and prairie) of Alberta are home to many different species of animals. Central and Northern Alberta and the region farther north is the nesting ground of migratory birds like ducks, geese, swans and pelicans. The region is home to many large carnivores, among them are the grizzly and black bears, which are found in the mountains and wooded regions.
Interesting facts
Alberta is named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta (1848–1939), the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. Princess Louise was the wife of the Marquess of Lorne, Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883. Lake Louise, the village of Caroline, and Mount Alberta were also named in honour of Princess Louise.
Downloadable documents
- Carbon Storage Assessment Report of John's Forest
Adobe PDF (196 KB)
Description
An estimation of the potential carbon sequestration in John's Forest.
- Carbon Storage Assessment Report of Mom's Forest
Adobe PDF (1.1 MB)
Description
An estimation of the potential carbon sequestration in Mom's Forest.
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