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The interest in carbon offsetting, by preserving forests and planting trees is growing rapidly, not least because of the projects’ positive impact on the climate, the local environment and local populations’ social conditions. Today, our ZeroMission Forum was guested by the charismatic Kahlil Baker, the founder of Taking Root, who during the seminar shared his experiences about the Plan Vivo project that they started from scratch in Nicaragua.
Kahlil Baker is from Canada and has many years of experience in forestry and reforestation project in both Costa Rica and Nicaragua. He strives to make sustainable forest management practices into a more central and integral part of sustainable development in developing countries. The seminar was well visited, among all by Arvid Nordqvist who carbon offset all their coffee through this very Plan Vivo project.
During the seminar, Kahlil talked about the driving forces behind the project, what the conditions are like in Nicaragua and the effects it has on a global, regional and local scale.
Just as U&W, Kahlil is often asked about how much a single tree will sequester and what happens when that tree dies? With outstretched arms, sighing loudly he said, “the trees will die at some point, that’s nothing we’re trying to hide. Swedish forests for instance have been around since the ice age, even though individual trees have come and gone. The interesting thing is not what happens to the individual tree, but what happens to carbon sequestration in the whole area over time”.
By using Google Earth, Kahlil zoomed in on a single farmer’s plot in the Limay region. This farmer will plant trees, thin the area, use the trees for timber and fuel while replanting. Then, zooming out again, displaying a larger area of Nicaragua’s landscape, he stressed: it’s what happens on this landscape level, the carbon sequestration in a region over time that is of interest.
Sometimes it is hard to see the forest for the trees, however, when it comes to carbon sequestration, the larger picture is what it’s all about.
Thank you Kahlil for a wonderful presentation and an enjoyable visit!
