Mast Reforestation

Thanks to a game-changing California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) grant, our Cal Forest Nurseries are ramping up seed processing, already supporting 100M seedlings to reforest over 300,000 acres–about the size of Los Angeles! 🔥Wildfires have caused a severe seed shortage in the Western U.S., with 635M seedlings needed in California alone. As one of the few grant recipients focused on seed collection, we’re expanding our pipeline and helping rebuild fire-impacted rural economies. We recently hosted Blake Mayfield with Allen Media Group’s KTVZ Action News Now to see Cal Forest and chat with Mast’s own Nik Larum and Lydia Tymon and CAL FIRE’s Justin Britton. Funding for this project was provided by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Business and Workforce Development Grants. Watch the story 👉  https://lnkd.in/gAVz48vx

Trees are nature’s superheroes. They clean our air and water, provide habitat for critical species, and protect the earth they stand on. As tree roots dig into the soil, they create natural drainage systems, absorb water, and decompose leaves and branches to enrich the soil with nutrients. At Sheep Creek in Montana, we’re restoring soil health in wildfire-affected areas through our reforestation efforts. Reforestation improves soil health by: 🌱 Reducing erosion and preventing landslides 💧 Preventing nutrient loss and minimizing water runoff 💪 Building healthy microbiomes that enhance soil fertility Learn how we’re restoring Sheep Creek 👉https://lnkd.in/di5ft9sZ

🏃Reforestation is extremely difficult work (roughly equivalent of running a marathon a day during planting season), but here are a few reasons why it’s worth it: 🔹Water cycle regulation: When the tree canopy releases water (transpiration), it can change temperatures and global rainfall. For example, if the Amazon rainforest were completely deforested, it could reduce the Sierra Nevada snowpack by 50%! 🔹Erosion control: Reforestation stabilizes soil by providing protection from heavy rainfall and wind. 🔹Cooler water: Trees provide shade that reduces water temperatures and buffers against extreme temperature fluctuations, which greatly improves waterways for cold-water fish, like salmon.   👇 Learn more about the benefits of our reforestation work: https://lnkd.in/d6bWWiNs

Wildfires are growing larger, burning hotter, and becoming more frequent. By 2050, the annual acreage requiring reforestation is projected to double or triple, reaching around 500K acres per year. To get a sense of the scale, the city of Los Angeles is about 300K acres. In the face of this growing crisis, what steps must we take to restore our forests and combat climate change? Several Mast employees and industry experts recently published a paper that provides critical insights into the magnitude of this problem and the steps we can take to mitigate it. 👇 Read the paper to learn more https://lnkd.in/g_fwBP-q

🔬 The science behind carbon sequestration ➡️ While we breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, trees do the opposite, taking up carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen into the air. 🌲 In the process, they store huge amounts of carbon in their wood and roots; approximately 50% of a tree’s dry weight is carbon! 🪵 When forests burn, much of that carbon is released back into the atmosphere. That’s why Mast is restoring forests to be more resilient to wildfires and other disturbances, helping them survive future blazes.

Our team at Carbon Streaming Corporation was thrilled to attend #VERGE24 last week! The event was filled with passion and commitment from every attendee, all dedicated to impactful climate action. We were deeply inspired by the conversations, connections, and shared vision we witnessed for a sustainable future. A highlight was the chance to co-host the networking lounge with one of our project partners, Mast Reforestation. If you're interested in learning more about Mast’s Sheep Creek Reforestation Project, check it out here: https://lnkd.in/evGZAV9t Thank you to all the incredible minds we met, and a big shout-out to the Trellis Group team for making this event possible. Let’s keep the momentum going! #ClimateAction #Sustainability #CarbonCredits #VCM

🤔 Ever heard of a hoedad? 🌱 This iconic wooden-handled hand tool is used by forestry teams to efficiently plant bare-root seedlings grown in nurseries into natural sites. 🌲 The hoedad has been used to plant millions of trees and inspired the founding of the so-called "Hoedads" in the 1960s, a group that advocated for the reforestation of diverse tree stands. 👉 Learn more about the funky history of the forestry tool that inspired a counter-cultural movement: https://lnkd.in/dT38NHfM

A recent The Associated Press story paints a sobering picture of forest health in the Western U.S.: ➡️ Climate-driven impacts: 🔥 Larger, hotter wildfires are wiping out seed banks and creating the perfect conditions for more fires, droughts, and infestations. ➡️The reforestation gap: 🌲 Forests are burning much faster than we can restore them. The current gap of 3.8M+ acres is expected to triple by 2050. ➡️ Adaptation: As forest ecologist Matthew Hurteau says, we can’t rely on the old “plant-and-pray” approach. We need smarter strategies like careful site selection and replanting for a changing climate. At Mast, we’re working to restore resilient forests more capable of handling severe fires, drought, and other threats exacerbated by climate change and other factors. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gBVqUCJj Read the article linked in the comments.

I put in 1.5 days at Trellis Group's VERGE conference in San Jose last week and still made it home for trick or treating! Time well spent among fascinating, accomplished, and promising people in the world of #climatetech! It was especially awesome to spend time in Mast Reforestation's serene, forest-themed networking lounge 🌲 A few other takeaways: 1. Political uncertainty is restraining action, temporarily: the U.S. election was on everyone's mind but as a factor to consider, not as a potential cataclysm. Make no mistake: many #climate stakeholders (especially VC investors) are waiting to see the results and will adjust plans accordingly; no one is going to just give up if the results aren't good. 2. Greenhushing is an epidemic: many companies, especially big, household brands, continue to make great strides on #sustainability. Almost none of them are talking about publicly, and that's a mistake. Whatever the latest "hot take" on #ESG etc. is, effective #communication of initiatives that make people and ecosystems healthier and happier is always valuable. 3. The voluntary carbon market is still a big deal: I met just as many (if not more) climate pros innovating around carbon credits and the VCM as in years past, and new ideas keep coming. Conversations with those innovators (h/t CarbonPool!) reinvigorated my belief that the VCM will become a massive catalyst of climate progress, only question is when.

This week at #VERGE24, we hosted our 🌲Forest Retreat🌲 Networking Lounge in partnership with Carbon Streaming Corporation. Throughout the conference, attendees took a break from the bustle to relax among the trees, connect with colleagues, and recharge. 💚 We appreciate everyone who mentioned that this space was where they set up all their meetings. It means the world to us to know that we were able to provide a relaxing space for you to collaborate with peers and colleagues and make progress on our climate goals. We hope to see you again in 2025! Credit: Trellis Group