State Of Green

14/02/2023

It's been great to get out planting again! This project was particularly special. We worked alongside a new nature reserve Tarras Valley Nature Reserve, and The Woodland Trust. In total 984 native trees were planted including: Aspen, Sessile Oak, Downy Birch, Blackthorn, Grey Willow, Elder, Hazel, Bird Cherry, Hawthorn and Alder. New meadow sites were also created.

A massive thank you to everyone who donated to make the purchase of the trees possible and for a large donation of secondhand tree protection.

This project is also a first, as we've started growing our own trees. 44 trees were provided by my own new mini tree nursery and by a good friend who grew the Downy Birch specifically for this years project.

I'd also like to give a massive thank you to everyone who came out and worked hard in all weathers to prepare the site and to plant the trees. I've never been part of a project with so many people involved. It was great to see the community of Langholm come together to make it happen.

I'll keep you up to date with photos of the site as it develops through the years, but for now, back to the drawing board to plan the next planting project ;)

26/10/2021

Here are some photos from this years planting project. A massive thank you to One Man Dancing, Ana Dunetz (https://www.facebook.com/ana.dunetz.5), Regenweibchen Photography, BLACK LILYS, Majk Stokes, Beth Clarke (https://www.facebook.com/corinne.clarke.16) and Dom for helping me plant over 1000 trees! I'd also like to say a big thank you to everyone who donated to make this project become a reality :)

In the end we planted 13 native species of tree (Sessile Oak, Rowan, Silver Birch, Crab Apple, Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Scots Pine, Yew, Dwarf Birch, Aspen, Eared Willow, Goat Willow, Wild Cherry) and we also created 4 meadow sites and one bluebell forest (all native locally sourced seeds).

The aim of this new nature reserve is to provide pollinators with a much needed refuge in the area and to protect certain endangered plant/tree species by creating new habitat for them.

The fenced in area will provide nature with a range of important habitats including wet meadow, mixed woodland, ponds, open grassland and scrubland.

Over the next few years I will monitor the site and I will also introduce some rare native flower species such as Sticky Catchfly etc.

I'm already beginning to plan next years project. It will be bigger and I will need more help! So let me know if you fancy a day or two of tree planting near Edinburgh next October. Have an awesome evening :)

Sam

19/10/2021

I'm very happy to announce that with the help of an awesome planting team, we've successfully planted just over 1000 trees, 4 meadow sites and a bluebell forest in the Pentland Hills, Scotland. More details and photos coming soon ;)

17/05/2021

I've organised this years tree planting project! :) This autumn with the help of some awesome people, I will plant over 1000 native trees, a wildflower meadow, a bluebell forest and I will also restore 2 small ponds to a healthy state. I'm pledging £100 plus 50% of all of State of Green streaming and download sales to the project.

I still need to raise a further £700. If you want to turn this new nature reserve into a reality you can make a one off donation via paypal (put in 'trees' as a reference): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/inkfields or you can donate monthly to State of Green conservation projects via patreon (there are lots of projects planned!): https://www.patreon.com/stateofgreen

Here's a short video with further info:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt0DZ_rvTW0

Thank you for your amazing support :) All the best! Sam

State of Green has an exciting conservation project to announce for autumn 2021. It involves planting over 1000 native trees (13 tree species), creating a wi...

09/04/2021

How our clothes destroyed the Aral Sea! As people get more and more clothes, the environment is unfortunately the one paying for it. One extraordinary example of the havoc that clothing creates amongst nature is the disappearance of the Aral Sea. The world's fourth largest lake (nearly the size of Scotland) almost completely disappeared due to our clothing and the fashion industry. Watch my vlog on sustainable clothing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftLA1S303WI

26/03/2021

We most often hear negative news about the state of nature and our impact on the environment. Today I want to highlight 5 amazing stories about the good things people have done to help nature and 5 things that everyone can do to help. Feel free to add your suggestions! Have a great weekend :) Sam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqsBjS9acIM&t=45s

12/03/2021

I've got a new vlog up today called 'The dark side of honey': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xBgFLZQ6OY. There are some alarming facts hidden in the depths of the honey industry. Much of what we've been told about honey and Honey Bees appears to be false. Join me as I discuss the truth about wild Honey Bees, how healthy honey actually is, the faults of the honey industry and Beekeeping as a hobby.

26/02/2021

I have a new vlog out today about the negative impact of bodybuilding on our planet. I studied the diet of well-known bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dwayne Johnson to come to a conclusion. I believe in keeping fit, but I think that we need to draw a line for the good of animals, our future and our environment. You can view the vlog here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyXZagh7HOc

12/02/2021

Here's a short video about the tree planting project I did last week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8f7Bk3Yoss. Have an awesome weekend :) Sam

I planted 60 saplings next to the Water of Leith in Edinburgh last week. I used recycled tree tubes and a recycled plastic bottle tube as tree protection. Th...

04/02/2021

I planted 60 trees in Edinburgh along the Water of Leith today. A massive thank you to everyone who donated to make the project happen.

Alder and Goat Willow trees were planted, which are both native to Scotland. They are particularly important for several species of moth, as well as a variety of birds and pollinating insects.

Plastic tubes were used to protect the trees from deer (who like to eat saplings). As I didn't want any plastic to be produced, I managed to source some old used tree tubes.

Thank you City of Edinburgh council for allowing me to plant the trees on your land.

Next year I hope to plant much more! ;)

29/01/2021

Video 2!! :)

I grew up in our society never questioning if there was anything unusual about pet ownership. I had various pets growing up as a kid and I currently have a dog.

However over time the question 'Should humans have pets?' has bothered me. It's become evident to me that the way people view pets and the pet industry itself could be argued as corrupt.

The scale of environmental damage from the pet industry is massive. Natural species of animals have become extinct due to the pet industry. Millions of animals across the world are abused or debatably enslaved for human amusement, entertainment or practicality.

Join me as I discuss 5 key topics of the subject:

1. Why do humans have pets?
2. Do pets damage the environment?
3. Are pets happy to be with humans?
4. How much is the pet industry worth?
5. Is it ever justifiable to have pets?

It's a sensitive subject, as it's so deeply ingrained in our society. I don't intend to upset anyone, I'm just conveying my honest opinions after researching the subject.

The topic is so vast, that it's not possible to discuss every aspect and detail in this video, but please let me know if you want me to go into detail about certain aspects of the topic in future videos.

Please also feel free to share your opinion on the subject.

All the best :)

Sam

I grew up in our society never questioning if there was anything unusual about pet ownership. I had various pets growing up as a kid and I currently have a d...