A better, cleaner environment
Last year, our small Applied Natural Sciences team gathered to sharpen our vision. We determined we want to be a company that focuses on: “Providing nature-based solutions to make a better, cleaner environment for future generations.” In the next few decades, people will not be building on undeveloped land, we will be repurposing land with complex legacies. There are few “green fields” left. Developers, communities, environmental scientists, and regulatory bodies will encounter issues like contamination, desertification, and biodiversity loss all on one site. The complexities of our world are intersecting and interrelated, so we want to be a part of solutions that are layered too.
On a basic level, we plant trees in such a way that they root deeply and provide cleanup of impacted groundwater. Within our systems, trees’ extensive subsurface growth allows access to deep groundwater and bedrock aquifers while attracting and sustaining a complex and robust subsurface microbial ecosystem where much of the contaminant degradation occurs. In broad strokes, this is how our TreeWell® system functions as a remediation alternative that can provide hydraulic control and contaminant mass reduction.
Our research also shows significant additional benefits that will be increasingly important in our changing world. Deep root growth and deep-living microbial communities positively impact overall rates of carbon fixation and respiration. Furthermore, for places with erratic water supplies, the dramatic root growth that occurs in our systems enables plants to tap into and rely on groundwater resources, not precipitation or irrigation. Without a reliance on surface water, revegetation of semi-arid or marginal lands becomes possible. The trees we plant in such areas improve soil fertility and stability but also can act as windbreaks, providing shade and a safe environment for the establishment of other native plants in dry places. Conversely, in regions where de-watering could provide critical protection for structures, utilizing a group of willows in TreeWell units or simply adding them to the landscaping plan could help to provide uptake for hundreds of gallons of water a day, while also providing temperature-reducing shade and improving air quality.
These are just some of the ways TreeWell systems can be employed to address complex, emergent challenges. Currently, we find that the needs of sites are often handled with a siloed approach—one subcontractor is hired to address contaminants, another for construction, and yet another to finish with landscaping. As we work to fulfill our vision, we are excited to explore the intersections where creative solutions can be developed and employed. Zooming out with clients and colleagues to collaboratively brainstorm about all that needs to be achieved means we may collectively get better at layering utility and using fewer valuable resources.
