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Richard St. Barbe Baker

Richard St. Barbe Baker was an English forester, environmental activist, and author who contributed greatly to worldwide reforestation efforts. As a leader, he founded an organization called the Men of the Trees, active today as the International Tree Foundation, whose many chapters carry out reforestation internationally.

Being Beneath the Dirt

St. Barbe Baker was born into a family that descended from lines of farmers, parsons, and evangelists – with the occasional adventurer amongst his forebears, as well. Since his family’s home was surrounded by a forest, he began to explore the woods at an early age. His interest in the sciences of botany and forestry brought him to inland Canada in 1910, where he lived in rough-hewn conditions, traveling widely on horseback to study the region.

Branching Out Roots for Balance

During his time in Canada and through his forestry studies at Cambridge, he became convinced that the agricultural practices (including the razing of the natural scrub trees) by European settlers were leading to deplorable soil degradation and potential aridity on Canada’s prairies. He realized through observation that deforestation, resulting from the removal of trees without sufficient reforestation, results in soil-loss problems, in declines in habitat and biodiversity, declines in availability of wood for fuel and industrial use, and reduction in quality of life.

Rising like a Surfacing Stem

Working in North Africa, he saw the effects of centuries of land mismanagement. Immediately concerned with the deforestation problems, he set up a tree nursery and founded an organization with Kenya’s Kikuyu people to carry out managed reforestation in the region, utilizing native species. In the regional dialect, the local society was called “Watu wa Miti,” it was a foundation stone for what became an international organization, the Men of the Trees (a translation of the original name). On one occasion, during his reforestation efforts in Africa, an incident occurred in which he defended an African man against abuse by a British official and, thereby running afoul of the Colonial Office, he was discharged from his duties.

Reaching Fruition

On his own again, he attended the First World Forestry Congress in Rome and then went on to work in Palestine and set up a chapter of the Men of the Trees there. St. Barbe Baker won the support of Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith who became the first life member of the Men of the Trees in Palestine. He earned the support of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian leaders for a program to reforest Palestine.

The magnitude of his influence reached every continent. He lectured across America, and worked with President Franklin D. Roosevelt to establish the American Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), said eventually to involve some six-million youths. Even more immense was his challenge of gradually reclaiming the Sahara Desert through the strategic planting of trees. This idea took shape after a 25,000-mile expedition around the Desert (through 24 countries) that he made with a team in 1964.

Leaving a Legacy

St. Barbe Baker’s organization, the Men of the Trees, eventually grew to be known as the International Tree Foundation. Ultimately, there were chapters in over 100 countries. By some estimates, organizations he founded or assisted have been responsible for planting at least 26 trillion trees, internationally. After World War II, a lecture tour into Austria, Germany and other countries launched his concept of an international Green Front to promote the idea of reforestation worldwide.

Disclaimer: Mud Puds bios are derived from widely-accepted “truths,” as shared in the Public Domain. In the absence of first-hand accounts, information is presented as: “Factual, as far as we know.”

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