Manomet’s Clear Water Carbon Fund created a new approach to ecosystem protection by connecting willing buyers, individuals willing to pay for planting trees and associated benefits with willing sellers, landowners willing to provide such services through reforestation of stream and riverbanks. By seeking support from individuals and businesses to plant trees the program made tangible contributions to the watersheds and communities where we worked.

 

This program was active from 2012 to 2015.  With help from our supporters, the Clear Water Carbon Fund worked with partners in Maine and Vermont to:

 

  • Plant 3,000 trees in four watersheds: Over time these trees will remove over 1.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmopshere, filter dirt and other pollutants to keep water clean and safe, shade the stream channel to keep water cool, create wildlife habitat, and enhance recreational opportunities.

 

  • Provide approximately $25,000 in financial benefits to our local partners: The CWCF helped our local partners protect clean water and habitat by planting trees and supporting outreach and educational programs.

 

  • Engage community members in planting trees and protecting clean water: Supporting tree planting provides a direct and tangible way to take action on climate change and at the same time, protect clean water, create wildlife habitat, and enhance recreational opportunities in local communities. With the help of our partners we have logged over 500 volunteer hours for planting and taking care of trees.

 

  • Educate youth on watersheds and stewardship:  Over 60 students took part in the tree plantings at 5 sites.  These youth, who will be future stewards of their watershed, learned about the importance of riparian buffer plantings and healthy ecosystems.