We have an awesome new tree planting partnership, and we can’t wait to get digging!
We’re teaming up with the Lummi Island Heritage Trust to plant trees on 1.2 acres of their Curry Preserve on northeast Lummi Island. Our first collaborative tree planting work party will be held Sunday, March 20, when we’ll plant 400 trees in the preserve’s lower meadow. We’ll also contribute logistical and marketing support before and after the tree planting.
This blackberry-dominated meadow in the Curry Preserve will soon be planted with a diverse mix of trees.
The Curry Preserve Afforestation Initiative has been in the planning stage for months, with the help of retired forester Scott Josiah. Together, we will plant trees on 1.2 acres of non-forested, low-carbon baseline lands, maximizing carbon sequestration and storage over time. A mix of native species tailored to microsite conditions to enhance diversity and growth will be planted, including Douglas fir, grand fir, shore pine, Sitka spruce, Western hemlock, Western red cedar, paper birch, and vine maple. Currently this area is dominated by invasive Himalayan blackberries.
Several sites at the Curry Preserve have been identified where afforestation would have the most impact by increasing habitat, shading trails, and sequestering carbon. According to LIHT, a forest inventory recently conducted at one of their preserves shows that a 110-year-old Douglas fir stand sequestered and stored 3,823 pounds of carbon per acre/year. Through their tree planting partnership with WMTP, they plan to eventually afforest 10 acres on the Curry Preserve, potentially sequestering 4.2 million pounds of carbon in the projected area over 110 years.
In their own words, “LIHT is thrilled to be partnering with WMTP to help achieve the goal of planting and protecting trees throughout Whatcom County. The benefits of planting trees are astounding and only increase with time! We are looking forward to working together and to make this neck of the woods more resilient and beautiful in the face of a changing climate.”
We look forward to a long and bountiful tree planting partnership with the Lummi Island Heritage Trust! If you’d like to join one of our planting parties there or elsewhere within Whatcom County, sign up here.
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Lauren Fritzen is a contributing writer for Whatcom Million Trees Project. Lauren is a copywriter/copy editor and has professional experience in marketing, social media, research, and event planning. Having written for Cascadia Weekly, WhatcomTalk and other local publications, she bolsters our blog articles and contributes to our other writing needs.