By Karen Morian

Considering the devastating forest fires in Southern California, the US Servas Peace Team will continue its tree-planting project into 2025. The US Servas Board is leading the way with a kick-off contribution (to be credited soon).

Planting Trees for Forest Fire Recovery

One Tree Planted supports reforestation as part of active post-fire management strategies. In addition to facilitating healthy ecosystem recovery, reforestation can reduce vulnerability to future disturbances — including wildfires, insect infestations, and disease outbreaks. When planting trees, everything from the best tree species for the local environment to the distance between trees and the exact location where they are planted is carefully considered. This is to prevent invasive species from colonizing burn scars, while restoring multi-layered wildlife habitat and increasing ecosystem resilience. For example, carefully planning “stand density” (the number of trees in a specific area) can help reduce the spread of pathogens and diseases.

Planting trees doesn’t just safeguard ecosystems against future threats. It can also help combat one of the most immediate consequences of forest fires: soil erosion. Fires consume the organic matter and litter layer that shield and nurture soil, causing hydrophobicity (an inability to absorb water). Reforestation plays a critical role in soil conservation by minimizing sedimentation, preventing erosion, and fostering a diverse vegetation community that will stabilize soils over time.

Every dollar contributed by US Servas members will plant one tree. You can help by making a tax-deductible contribution here: Servas Plants Trees