I-Tree Partners Foundation

Ibhalwe ngu: Crystal Ross O'Hara

Iqembu elincane kodwa elizinikele e-Atwater elibizwa ngokuthi i-Tree Partners Foundation lishintsha isimo futhi lishintsha izimpilo. Isungulwe futhi iholwa uDkt. Jim Williamson oshisekayo, le nhlangano esafufusa isivele yakha ubudlelwano ne-Merced Irrigation District, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, National Arbor Day Foundation, Merced College, izifunda zezikole zendawo kanye nohulumeni bamadolobha, uMnyango Wezamahlathi Nokuvikelwa Komlilo waseCalifornia, kanye Nejele Le-Federal e-Atwater.

UWilliamson, owasungula iTree Partners Foundation nomkakhe uBarbara ngo-2004, uthi le nhlangano ikhule ezenzweni zakhe zokuphisana ngezihlahla. AbakwaWilliamson bayazazisa izihlahla ngezizathu eziningi: indlela abaxhuma ngayo abantu nemvelo; iqhaza labo ekuhlanzeni umoya namanzi; kanye nekhono labo lokunciphisa umsindo, ukunciphisa izikweletu zezinsiza, kanye nokuhlinzeka ngomthunzi.

“Mina nomkami sasihlezi sicabanga, ngeke siphile phakade, ngakho-ke kungcono siqale isisekelo uma sifuna ukuthi lokhu kuqhubeke,” kusho uWilliamson. I-Tree Partners Foundation yakhiwe ngamalungu ebhodi ayisikhombisa kuphela, kodwa angamalungu omphakathi anethonya, okuhlanganisa uDkt. Williamson, imeya yase-Atwater, uprofesa wasekolishi osewathatha umhlalaphansi, umqondisi wezokunakekelwa kweSifunda Sesikole Sase-Atwater Elementary, kanye nomqondisi wedolobha wedolobha.

Naphezu kobukhulu bayo, isisekelo sesivele sisungule izinhlelo ezihlukahlukene futhi sinezinye eziningi emisebenzini. UWilliamson nabanye batusa impumelelo yeqembu ebhodini labaqondisi eliqinile kanye nokwakhiwa kobudlelwane obuningi obubalulekile. “Sibe nenhlanhla enkulu,” kusho uWilliamson. "Uma kukhona engikudingayo kubonakala sengathi kukhona."

Imigomo Ebalulekile

Njengezinhlangano eziningi zamahlathi zasemadolobheni ezingenzi nzuzo, i-Tree Partners Foundation ihlinzeka ngamathuba emfundo kubahlali base-Atwater nasendaweni, ihlinzeka ngamasemina mayelana nokutshala, ukunakekela, nokuqapha ihlathi lasemadolobheni. Isisekelo siphinde sibambe iqhaza njalo ekutshalweni kwezihlahla, senza uhlu lwemithi, futhi sihlinzekele ukunakekelwa kwezihlahla.

I-Tree Partners Foundation yenze ukusebenzisana nezinhlangano zikahulumeni kwaba umgomo oyinhloko. Iqembu lihlinzeka ngemibono ngezinqubomgomo zezihlahla zedolobha, ababambisene nama-ejensi wendawo mayelana nezicelo zesibonelelo, futhi linxusa ohulumeni basekhaya ukuthi bagcizelele ukunakekela amahlathi asemadolobheni.

Okunye okufeziwe isisekelo esiziqhenya ngakho kakhulu impumelelo yaso ekukholiseni iDolobha lase-Atwater ukuthi lidale isikhundla samahlathi edolobha. “Kulezi zikhathi [ezinzima] zezomnotho ngikwazile ukubabonisa ukuthi kwakuzuzisa bona kwezomnotho ukwenza izihlahla zibe yinto eza kuqala,” kusho uWilliamson.

Ukukhulisa Izihlahla, Ukuzuza Amakhono

Obunye bobambiswano olubaluleke kakhulu isisekelo esilwenzile yi-Federal Penitentiary e-Atwater. Eminyakeni embalwa edlule uWilliamson, owasiza umkhulu wakhe lapho eseyingane ngepulazi elincane lomndeni wabo, exhumene nowayengumphathi wejele, uPaul Schultz, okwathi esemncane wasiza umkhulu wakhe emsebenzini wakhe wokuba umdwebi wendawo eNyuvesi yasePrinceton. Laba balisa ababili babenephupho lokwakha inkulisa encane ejele ezonikeza iziboshwa uqeqesho lwemisebenzi yezandla kanye nezihlahla emphakathini.

I-Tree Partners Foundation manje inenkulisa engamahektare angama-26 esizeni, enendawo yokukhulisa. Iphethwe amavolontiya avela esikhungweni sezokuphepha esincane sejele athola ukuqeqeshwa okubalulekile okuzowalungiselela ukuphila ngaphandle kwezindonga zejele. KuWilliamson, yena kanye nomkakhe ongumeluleki emsebenzini wangasese, ukunikeza iziboshwa ithuba lokufunda amakhono enkulisa kuyazuzisa kakhulu. “Kuwubudlelwane obumangalisayo nje,” usho kanje ngobudlelwano obakhiwe nejele.

Izinhlelo ezinkulu zenkulisa ziyaqhubeka. Isisekelo sisebenzisana ne-Merced College ukuze sinikeze amakilasi esathelayithi eziboshwa azohlinzeka ngohlelo lomsebenzi oqinisekisiwe. Iziboshwa zizofunda izihloko ezinjengokuhlonza izitshalo, isayensi yezinto eziphilayo zezihlahla, ubudlelwano bezihlahla nomhlabathi, ukuphathwa kwamanzi, ukondleka kwezihlahla nokuvundisa, ukukhetha izihlahla, ukuthena, nokuxilongwa kwezifo zezitshalo.

I-Nursery Ikhiqiza Ozakwethu Bendawo

Inkulisa inikezela ngezihlahla kuma-ejensi nezinhlangano ezahlukahlukene, okubandakanya ohulumeni basekhaya, izikole namasonto. “Besingeke sikwazi ukufaka izihlahla zasemgwaqweni esinazo futhi sinakekele izihlahla zasemgwaqweni esinazo ukube bekungeyona i-Tree Partners Foundation,” kusho iMeya yase-Atwater kanye neLungu Lebhodi Lebhodi Le-Tree Partners uJoan Faul.

Inkulisa iphinde ihlinzeke ngezihlahla ezifanele ukutshalwa ngaphansi kwezintambo zikagesi ku-PG&E ukuze zisetshenziswe njengezinye izihlahla. Futhi inkulisa itshala izihlahla zomnikelo wonyaka wamakhasimende we-Merced Irrigation District. Kulo nyaka i-foundation ilindele ukuhlinzeka ngezihlahla ezingu-1,000 15-gallon ohlelweni lokunisela lwesifunda sokunisela. “Kuyizindleko ezinkulu zokonga kubo, futhi kunikeza inhlangano yethu uxhaso,” kusho Ilungu Lebhodi Lebhodi le-Atwater's Urban Forester and Tree Partners Foundation uBryan Tassey, imisebenzi yakhe eminingi ehlanganisa ukwengamela inkulisa.

UTassey, obuye afundise ekolishi iMerced, uthi uyamangala ngendlela inkulisa nohlelo oseluthuthuke ngayo ngesikhathi esincane kangaka. Uthi: “Enyangeni edlule bekuyinhlabathi engenalutho. "Sihambe ngezindlela eziningi."

Imali Yembewu

Okuningi okufezwe ngabakwa-Tree Partners kungabangelwa ukubhalwa ngempumelelo kwezibonelelo.

Isibonelo, isisekelo sathola isibonelelo sika-$50,000 USDA Forest Service. Ukuphana kwezinhlangano zasendaweni—okuhlanganisa umnikelo ka-$17,500 ovela ku-Atwater Rotary Club kanye neminikelo yokuzithandela evela kumabhizinisi endawo—kuphinde kwaqinisa impumelelo ye-Tree Partners.

UWilliamson uthi le nhlangano ayizimisele ngokuqhudelana nezinkulisa zendawo, kodwa ifuna ukuthola imali eyanele ukuqhubeka nomsebenzi wayo emphakathini. “Inhloso yami empilweni yami wukwenza inkulisa isimame futhi ngikholwa ukuthi sizokwenza,” usho kanje.

Umgomo owodwa i-Tree Partners Foundation ebisebenzela ukufinyelela kuwo iminyaka embalwa ukubambisana ne-National Arbor Day Foundation (NADF) okungavumela i-Tree Partners Foundation ukuthi isebenze njengomnikezeli nomthumeli wazo zonke izihlahla ze-NADF ezithunyelwa kumalungu ayo ase-California.

Izinhlangano namabhizinisi athumela izihlahla ngaphandle kwe-California abhekana nezidingo eziqinile zezolimo. Umphumela uba ukuthi lapho izakhamuzi zaseCalifornia zijoyina i-NADF, zithola izihlahla ezinezimpande ezingenalutho (izihlahla eziyi-6- kuya kweziyi-12-intshi ezingenayo inhlabathi ezungeze izimpande) zithunyelwa zisuka e-Nebraska noma e-Tennessee.

I-Tree Partners Foundation isezingxoxweni zokuba umhlinzeki wamalungu e-NADF aseCalifornia. I-Tree Partners izohlinzeka ngamapulaki ezihlahla—izitshalo eziphilayo ezinenhlabathi ezimpandeni—isisekelo esikholelwa ukuthi kuzosho izihlahla ezinempilo, ezintsha kumalungu e-NADF.

Ekuqaleni, u-Tassey uthi, i-Tree Partners izodinga inkontileka yezindawo zokunakekela izihlahla eziningi. Kodwa uthi akasiboni isizathu sokuthi kungani inkulisa yesisekelo ingakwazi ukuhlinzeka zonke izihlahla kumalungu e-NADF aseCalifornia. NgokukaTassey, ukuthunyelwa kwe-National Arbor Day Foundation kwentwasahlobo nekwindla njengamanje kuhlinzeka ngezihlahla ezingaba ngu-30,000 ngonyaka eCalifornia. “Amandla eCalifornia makhulu, okuyinto i-Arbor Day Foundation ejabule ngayo,” usho kanje. “Lokho ukunwaya phezulu. Silindele izihlahla ezingaba yisigidi eminyakeni emihlanu.”

Lokho, kusho uTassey noWilliamson, kungaba isinyathelo esisodwa sokusimama kwezezimali enhlanganweni kanye nehlathi elinempilo ledolobha lase-Atwater nangale kwayo. “Asizona izicebi, kodwa sisendleleni yokuthi sikwazi ukusimama,” kusho uWilliamson.