Tree Planters in Europe Adopt Guerrilla Tactics
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel 
on 02. 8.08
Forests are usually defenseless against the forces of development. However, Friends of the Earth - Europe has decided to help the forests fight back. With the help of advertising firm PH/LAW in the Netherlands, a website has been set up with a do it yourself manual for guerrilla tree planting (including instructions for documenting the subversive act) and several videos of guerrilla tree planters in action.
The idea is to highlight the absurdity that planting trees (in unauthorized places) is illegal, while European trade in illegal timber continues unpunished. The site also asks visitors to sign a petition against illegal destruction of the world's forests, and provides information, in English and Dutch, about deforestation and a host of other issues on the European greens' agenda.
According to Friends of the Earth - Netherlands, half of Europe's timber imports are illegally logged.
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i like the idea....but doesn't this bring bad PR to the fight. some of the videos show people destroying property in order to plant trees.
less destruction, more planting...
as environmentalists we all want to take the high road and not piss people off.
Now count the wood/ paper products in that video...
So who waters and cares for these unwanted trees? Are they just left to die after being planted in places where irrigation is probably non existent?
Guerilla gardening is a cool idea, but flowers in medians are one thing and usually self sufficient if planted as a few scattered seeds, but a tree needs a lot of care in it's first few years. It isn't as easy as just sticking it in the ground and letting nature take its course.
This is quite possibly the most retarded idea I have ever seen. Seriously what good is this for the tree? This is an insult to real, existing silviculture industries in North America. Try supporting existing treeplanting companies and initiatives instead of making a useless artistic statement. 4 or 5 people with cameras, wheelbarrows and other crap to plant a single tree that will die and be tossed in the trash is a joke. Go research Canadian treeplanting and you'll see what kind of a difference you can make. The province of British Columbia recently celebrated planting its 6th BILLIONTH tree this summer, yet the forestry industry is in danger of collapsing there. If you're going to make an effort to help the planet, you'll have to plant more than a couple trees in the middle of a city.
p.s. I've personally planted over 200,000 tree seedlings over the past 2 summers, and i've planted with many people who have planted millions over their career and will continue to plant more every summer.