Humankind making peace with itself and with Nature

& Getting the Earth Challenge prize!

A Global View for Archangel´s Mission in Sustainably Developing the World

By Vanessa Lopez-De la O & Terry Mock July, 2013

“Mr. Milarch’s endeavors in tree conservation is more than commendable. The idea of cloning champion trees is pure conservation inspiration for the future and shows what one person can achieve if motivated. To preserve our natural resources, we must nurture and encourage individuals like Mr. Milarch who are so caring and knowledgeable about conservation management for the future”.

— Anne Marie C. Trevarthen, National Vice Chairman, Environmental Awareness,

National Society Daughters of the American Revolution,

when awarding the National Conservation Medal to

David Milarch.

The Champion Tree Project first, and Archangel Ancient Tree Archive now, seek to create sustainable urban forests by preserving, propagating and planting champion trees, defined as the largest trees of their species.

As the world population inexorably expands and an ever-greater percentage of the land area is developed, this project takes on critical importance…

Sustainable urban forests are important because trees reduce carbon dioxide emissions, air pollution, storm water runoff, and energy and medical costs, while improving wildlife habitat for

biodiversity.

Our quality of life and, yes, our very survival

depends on the health of our urban forest.

The goal is to create sustained, superior profitability and value by utilizing state-of-the-art horticultural technology to create a new industry standard that links a global network of specialty producers and service providers with a diversified customer base, unified through stakeholder marketing.

The process starts with a network of specialists, who will refocus attention on what they do best—growing the highest quality trees.

By providing growers with education and marketing support, growers will achieve a strong economic position in their specialty.

A vision of achieving economic and environmental sustainability through

cooperative partnerships will result in:

• Reduced costs and increased income for producers;

• Increased level of professionalism throughout the “green industry”;

• Improved product and service quality for consumers;

• Creation of a global brand name to label a full line of complimentary products; and

• Buy-in of all stakeholder groups into the need for sustainable urban forests in order to achieve overall sustainability.

Where and how further efforts should be concentrated

Archangel’s first efforts are to locate, identify and clone champion trees throughout the United States and the world.

These trees are the world’s oldest and largest living organisms and, in many cases, represent the last remaining remnant of our original old-growth forest. They hold secrets.

If we don’t preserve them, and they die—and many die each year due to natural causes and development—we have lost those secrets forever.

Are the genes of these champion trees really superior?

Only research and long-term study will tell. Therefore, Archangel Ancient Tree Archive is seeking to establish living archives of these giants for preservation and research, via an international consortium of sorts.

We must learn how to integrate these trees into our man-manipulated ecosystem in order to provide the whole wide world with a continuing level of economic, social, environmental and ecological benefits today and into the future.

• As far back as Mesopotamia, we have historical evidence that the rise and fall of civilizations was created, in part, by the exploitation of forest resources and the subsequent effects of deforestation.

• Fortunately, we have developed extensive horticultural and urban forestry scientific data, which provides a basis for developing a model for building sustainable urban forests. This model sustainable urban forest requires three components: a healthy tree resource, community-wide support, and comprehensive management.

Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, at the very least, will immortalize the giants that simultaneously give us breath and take our breath away.

If the genetics of these giants are proven superior, the potential of this project is limitless and may well transform our urban forests into a vehicle for sustainability of our civilization.

In this light, we propose that Archangel

-in a grassroots diplomatic effort- go also to explicitly propagate (first and foremost) the national trees of the most important countries in the world (in political, economical, demographic and/or biological terms)…

A tentative list could include:

• British Isles: Quercus robur (England), Quercus petraea (Wales & Ireland), Pinus sylvestris (Scotland).

• Spain: Quercus ilex.

• France: Yews at Estry and La Haye-de-Routot, Normandy.

• Mexico: Taxodium mucronatum.

• Canada: Aceraceae.

• US & Germany: Quercus.

• Central America: Ceiba pentandra & Sterculia apetala.

• Colombia: Ceroxylon Quindiuense.

• Venezuela: Samanea saman and Tabebuia chrysantha.

• Ecuador: Cinchona pubescens.

• Peru: Cinchona, Amaranthus caudatus.

• Brasil: Caesalpinia echinata.

• Chile: Araucaria araucana.

• Argentina: Erythrina crista-galli, and Schinopsis balansae.

• Congo: Millettia laurentii. • Madagascar: Adansonia grandidieri. • South Africa: Podocarpus latifolius. • Africa: Adansonia digitata. • Israel & Palestine: Olea europaea (contemplating planting ceremonies with representatives of both nations as a symbol for peace). • Lebanon: Cedrus libani. • Turkey, Middle East and eastern Africa: Ficus sycomorus. • Iran: Cupressus sempervirens. • Russia: Betula. • India: Ficus benghalensis. • China: Ginkgo biloba. • Koreas (North and South): Magnolia & Pinus (contemplating planting ceremonies with

representatives of both nations as a symbol for peace). • Japan: Prunus serrulata. • Malaysia, Phillipines, South East Asia: Pterocarpus indicus. • Indonesia: Tectona. • Australia: Acacia pycnantha. • New Zealand: Cyathea dealbata.

What about the funds?

In an era when economics is a dominant force in world affairs, it is more important than ever to have business willingly involved in environmental protection and the sustainable use of nature. Some companies have revenues far greater than those of entire countries, and their influence is immense.

Fortunately, a growing number of companies have decided to apply the principles of sustainable development to their operations. As "charismatic megaflora", champion/notable and national trees are the "superstars" of the plant kingdom because they have the exceptional ability to attract commercial partners and secure public support for natural resource conservation.

As just one example…

Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson, British business magnate and investor, and founder and chairman of Virgin Group of more than 400 companies, tells the Ecologist (July 10, 2013) what kind of world he would like to see his grandchildren grow up in and argues that organizations, both public and private have a responsibility to ensure the next generation inherit just such a world:

Virgin is tackling the barriers to carbon reduction by overseeing a

$25 million prize (The Virgin Earth Challenge),

which is looking for scalable, sustainable ways of removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. We hope one day somebody will win this most difficult

challenge by coming up with a way of:

extracting the equivalent of Europe's total yearly carbon emissions.

The winner of the prize will potentially save the world from all the consequences of global warming -by far the most important thing any

individual could achieve.

Archangel´s UK trip As AATA´s liaison in the UK -Greg Fairley- has recently pointed out:

“Incredibly almost all of those on the list [he suggested to contact] have engaged positively with us with the exception of two, one of which (Brian Muelaner) has recently become involved again via Ted Green and Jill Butler and as the person responsible for the ancient trees of the National Trust is a key man to complete the picture in the UK. … the level of engagement so far has been fantastic, in addition we will have Archangel’s cloning processes rubber stamped and legitimised by one of the biggest and oldest botanical gardens in the world via Kew Gardens. This will finally put paid to any noise or criticism from the scientific community and allow Archangel to get on with achieving its aims without further distraction or criticism of any kind. Importantly all of the above will have key connections in other countries in Europe and likely further afield and so this will inevitably open the door into mainland Europe and far beyond in due course. I sincerely believe you are one step nearer to achieving your aims on a global scale.”

[Emphasis is ours.]

Archangel´s wings have successfully reached out to…

• Sir Tim Smit´s Eden Project / Lost Gardens of Heligan. • The Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, Richard Deverell. • Prominent British botanist and ecologist Sir Ghillean Tolmie Prance. • John Vidal, The Guardian´s Environment Editor. • Geraint Richards, Woodland Heritage Trustee, Head Forester at the

Duchy of Cornwall (amounting to being His Royal Highness, Charles Philip Arthur George, Prince of Wales´ closest forester), and Co-Chair of Management Committee at Future Trees Trust.

• Mark Edwards, environmental communicator, one of the most widely published photographers in the world, and creator of the Hard Rain Project.

• Sir Ted Green´s Ancient Tree Forum. • Jill Butler, conservation policy advisor to the Woodland Trust. • Harvey Stephens, Head of The Savill Garden, part of the Crown Estate

Office - Windsor Great Park´s The Royal Landscape.

Besides of:

• Terry Mock´s Sustainable Land Development

International.

• Dr. John C. Alleyne of the University of Florida and the Florida Botanical Gardens.

• Atzin Calvillo´s Reforestamos México and Árboles Majestuosos (We Reforest Mexico & Majestic Trees).

Ultimately…

We envision to build a wild sanctuary

for air, land, and water species;

where the “stars” are clearly

the champion and historic trees of the world,

in the form of a perpetual

Living Library.

References

• Champion Tree Project´s historic record. • Econosystemics: reframing economics for sustainability. • List of National Trees. • List of Notable Trees. • IUCN Red List: Conifers are the oldest and largest species on the

planet. The Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva) for example, can live to an age of nearly 5,000 years and the Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) grows to a height of 110 meters. Apart from wetlands, coniferous forests sequester more carbon than any other biome – three times the amount sequestered by temperate and tropical forests. Their economic value is immense: softwoods are used for timber and paper production and the anti-cancer agent Taxol® is derived from the bark of many of the Yew species.

• Sir Richard Branson: Championing the Green Economy.