American Forests Forestbytes June 2008

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More proof of how trees help in ways that may not be readily apparent. Officials say the destruction of Burma's mangrove forests may have affected the severity of the cyclone that left tens of thousands there dead or homeless, allheadlinenews.com reports.

The secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations blames the severity of the cyclone's impact on an increase in the population in what is now called Myanmar, Agence France Presse says. That, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan adds, led to an encroachment into the mangrove forests, which used to serve as buffer between the rising tide, between big waves and storms and the residential areas.

BBC reports a December 2005 study credited Sri Lankan mangrove forests with saving many villagers during the tsunami there. In 2006, American Forests helped plant more than 20,000 mangrove and terrestrial trees to reforest areas damaged by the 2004 tsunami and logging; between 2000 and 2002, we helped monks in Cambodia plant more than 8,000 of a variety of tree species. READ MORE

Cool Globes
Planning a visit to Washington, DC this summer? Make time to visit the U.S. Botanic Garden near the Capitol. Not only is it filled with an amazing array of plants and flowers, its annual “One Planet—Ours!” exhibit this year features 40 “Cool Globes,” white spheres transformed by artists and schoolchildren to encourage discussions about potential solutions to global warming. American Forests’ executive director Deborah Gangloff is featured as an “eco-hero who has initiated global change for the environment” in Andrea Harris’ “Facing the Earth” globe. Read more about the exhibit at the U.S. Botanic Garden click here to read more about Andrea Harris’ Cool Globe

	Greener Thinking Think you know a lot about the environment and the problems it faces? We’ll be the judge of that. Check out the Green My Brain game, which aims to be “the largest online interactive green education resource in the world.” Think you know even more? Suggest questions and answers to be added to the game—all submissions are verified for accuracy. Read More

Asthma-Fighting Trees

Turns out there’s another health issue helped by leafy green trees in the city: childhood asthma. A study of asthma rates among 4- and 5-year-olds in New York City found them to be lower when the children lived on tree-lined streets, regardless of proximity to sources of pollution, family income, or population density, thedailygreen.com reports. READ MORE

“Eco-Terrorist” Gets 20 Years Eric McDavid, 29, was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for plotting to blow up several targets including the U.S. Forest Service Institute of Forest Genetics, Reuters reports. Two co-conspirators pleaded guilty and cooperated with the government, which referred to McDavid as an “eco-terrorist.” READ MORE

No Cypress Mulch
A coalition of environmental, social justice, and citizens groups and individuals restoring the Gulf of Mexico wants to stop people from using cypress mulch. The Gulf Restoration Network says the benefits of cypress forests make clear-cutting the trees for mulch “an unacceptable situation.” READ MORE

	Prince an Earth Champ American Forests’ tree-planting partner HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco was among seven people honored for their work against global warming by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The seven Champions of the Earth “light an alternative path for humanity by taking responsibility, demonstrating leadership and realizing change across a wide range of sustainability issues,” said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and executive director of UNEP. READ MORE

	Nanomanufacturing & Trees When the holidays rolled around, Mike Splinter, president and CEO of nanomanufacturing technology company Applied Materials, wanted to remind his executive staff and Board of Directors of the company’s environmental commitment and past year’s progress. The solution: trees. Splinter says he decided to plant 6,000 trees with American Forests’ Global ReLeaf program after analyzing the organization’s commitment, low-cost structure, and clear accountability. Applied Materials’ 6,000 trees will be planted in California, Texas, and Malaysia to represent key company locations and the global nature of its business. READ MORE.
	The Police Help NYC with Trees Rock band The Police has announced it will contribute $1 million toward New York City’s goal of planting 1 million trees by 2017. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city will match the donation, made in support of MillionTreesNYC. MillionTreesNYC is part of Bloomberg’s PlanNYC, which has a goal of making the city more sustainable and reducing its carbon footprint 30 percent by 2030. The Police’s donation, when matched by the city, will plant 10,000 trees to create new urban forests. READ MORE

Tree or forest questions? Ask American Forests’ expert.
Email treedoc@amfor.org or treedoctor@amfor.org