BLOG
Day 1 of 30 Trees - Burr Oak @ WISHTV
Can One Person Make a Difference?
For the past two years, I have dedicated one month to environment issues by embarking on mini—behavior-changing-experiments. In June 2009, I spent one month as a vegetarian. I was curious if I could happily sustain myself for one month while drastically cutting down on the resources it took to produce my food*. Last year, I kicked this up a notch by spending a month only consuming Indiana products (you can read about it on the blogs I did last summer for KIB).
In both of these adventures, the question I most commonly received was, “Do you really think you are making any difference on the environment of the planet?” Though I would like to think my experiment and blogging helped to influence more people to shop locally, I know I didn’t move the needle too far. For year three, I wanted to be able to confidently say, “Yes, I know I am making a difference.” This is what has led me to a unique partnership with KIB.
Over the next 30 days, I am going to plant a different species of tree in Indianapolis. The trees will be spread across the city and placed in neighborhoods that are trying to revitalize themselves through an improved tree canopy as well as at non-profits who could benefit from a tree on their property. These trees will help KIB in meeting its goals of planting 2,012 trees by 2012 (a part of the Super Bowl Legacy Project) and their larger goal of having 100,000 trees planted in Marion County by 2017.
I will post a daily blog on KIB’s website that talks about the tree I planted, the organization / neighborhood who received the tree, and the impact the tree will have. I’ll focus on how trees can improve the aesthetics, impact the economy, reduce crime, and (of course) improve the environment. I will also share tips on how to plant a tree, how much mulch you need, who to call, and what types of permits you need. What I ultimately hope you take away from all of this is the sense that, yes, one person can make a difference.
So that is the background, and today is day #1. I arrived at WISH TV at 8:00 AM to plant a Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) with the help of Tracy and Andi of Indy Style TV. We replaced a tree that is no longer with us at the intersection of Meridian and 20th St. They were kind enough to help us plant the tree and broadcast the planting to help create some publicity for KIB and my project. I will have a link to the video post a little later today.
Please check back daily for stories about the trees. More information (like the locations) is posted on KIB’s site at http://www.kibi.org/30_in_30 . You can also follow me on twitter @Feiney for real time updates as I’m doing the plantings. If you would like to learn a bit more about this or join me at a planting, I would welcome the company, just send me an email.
*According to a study by soil and water experts at University of California agriculture extension it takes the following gallons of water to produce the following commonly eaten items.
• 1 lb. lettuce: 23 gallons
• 1 lb. tomatoes: 24 gallons
• 1 lb. wheat: 25 gallon
• 1 lb. carrots: 33 gallons
• 1 lb. apples: 49 gallons
• 1 lb. chicken: 815 gallons
• 1 lb. pork: 1,630 gallons
• 1 lb. beef: 5,214 gallons
