4H organisation and Taimiteko - Seedling Action partners are once again employing hundreds of underage young people to plant hundreds of thousands of tree saplings around Finland – for a fifth consecutive year. Saastamoinen Foundation supports the work of the Taimiteko - Seedling Action project to combat climate change.
The Taimiteko – Seedling Action project by Finland’s 4H organisation takes concrete action to curb climate change by increasing carbon sinks to compensate for carbon dioxide emissions. The project is based on planting spruce and pine saplings in areas that are no longer used for agricultural purposes or active peat burning. There are currently approximately 10,000 hectares of such areas in Finland waiting for the planting of new carbon sinks.
[image_1] In addition to increasing the number of carbon sinks, Taimiteko – Seedling Action also employs hundreds of Finnish young people, especially ninth graders, who might struggle to find a summer job due to their young age. For many, planting tree saplings is their first summer job, and in addition to getting paid they also learn about sustainable development and the importance of forests. The young are employed through their local 4H organisations, who act as responsible employers by training the young and paying them piece-rate pay for the planted saplings.
The upcoming summer is fifth in a row for the Taimiteko – Seedling Action project, and saplings planted over the past four years will absorb up to 141 million kilos of carbon dioxide over the next 55 years. Taimiteko – Seedling Action’s goal is to plant around 20 million saplings by 2030, which will grow into 10,000 hectares of new forest.
Every organisation and person can participate in Taimiteko – Seedling Action. Saastamoinen Foundation supports Taimiteko – Seedling Action for a fifth year in a row, and this year our funding enables the planting of 30,000 saplings in Kemijärvi. The saplings are planted by the young employed by the 4H organisations in Salla and Sodankylä.
The national youth organisation 4H’s Taimiteko – Seedling Action programme employs under 18-year-old youth most of whom are graduating comprehensive school, as well as increases the number of Finland’s carbon sinks. Spruce and pine saplings are planted in areas that are no longer used for agricultural purposes or active peat burning. The aim is to plant 10,000 hectares of new forest by 2030, which totals up to 20 million trees. www.taimiteko.fi
Photo: 4H
