California is home to the world’s oldest and largest trees. The majestic giant sequoias and coast redwoods are truly a sight to behold.
The nonprofit Archangel Ancient Tree Archive (AATA) is climbing, cataloging and removing the tips of small branches on the top of the canopy from various trees with the purpose of cloning them. This is no small feat considering the eldest of them are over 300 feet tall and 3000 years old.
Its goal is to propagate, restore and archive these unique species before it is too late. After all, these giants absorb excess carbon, a huge contributor to the rapid — some say alarming — pace of Earth’s climate change.
Climate change has expedited the urgency for the need of such a project. As David Milarch, AATA founder told the Associated Press about the pressing need to address climate change, “We’re trying to hurry here, the 11th hour, the 59th Minute [for the Earth] and gather the genetics of the largest and oldest living sequoias and archive those to be utilized.”
AATA’s mission speaks volumes:
We promote the use of the right trees for the right application for a balanced, sustainable environment. We are creating living libraries of old-growth tree genetics by cloning these old growth trees through traditional and advanced horticultural propagation for the purpose of future research and functional reforestation.
We want, and need to replace the natural filter systems of our water and air to fight global warming caused climate change, and protect our freshwater ecosystem to restore the health of our planet.
The AATA is yet another great example of organizations and people that are selflessly being stewards for the Earth. Securing a .earth domain would be the perfect showcase for its love of the planet while putting a recognizable stamp on the organization.
Learn more about earth changing work performed by the AATA here. Be sure to watch their recent interview with the AP:
