Climate Change Coalition Leads Tree Distribution

Photo by Len Villano.

The Climate Change Coalition of Door County (CCCDC), with support from the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship’s Environmental Justice Action Team, has distributed more than 400 young trees during its fall tree-planting project, working with partners across the county to expand local woodlands and combat climate change.

Nine other area churches – five Stella Maris Roman Catholic congregations, Ephraim and Sister Bay Moravian, Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran and St. Luke’s Episcopal – also worked with the Boys and Girls Club, Northern Door Child Care Center, Peninsula Preschool and The Ridges Sanctuary in the project. The CCCDC is also working with county businesses to add trees to their properties. The Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership donated $1,000 to purchase the trees, whose distribution ran Sept. 8-27.

“Since 2016, CCCDC and its many partners have planted more than 10,000 trees across the county,” said Mary Smythe, chair of the coalition’s steering committee. “These partners are the reason we’ve been so successful, and we’re very grateful.” 

The trees – all native varieties, including balsam fir, red and white pine, white and black spruce – will be able to withstand the warming temperatures that climate change will bring.Planting trees is one of the most effective ways to help the environment because they provide essential habitat, prevent soil erosion, protect groundwater, reduce energy consumption through windbreaks and shading, and perhaps most importantly, breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen.