What is TforTrees ?

TforTrees is a Canadian for-profit organization with dynamic, revolutionary and globally holistic environmental solutions to improve the socioeconomic conditions of developing/developed countries, people and the entire earth at large. It was founded by Abdul-Aziz Abbas Quraishi, an entrepreneur at heart, to combat air pollution in developing countries. Mr. Quraishi feels that to affectively improve the global environmental condition, refreshing and large-scale solutions are necessitated to have a noticeable impact. The TforTrees projects are a by-product of re-imagined initiatives with innovation, improvement and sustainability as its core beliefs.

How does TforTrees work?

Our aim is to plant 100 Billion hybrid trees within the next 5-10 years in & around the world. Local farmers and unemployed individuals are hired and trained to undertake the planting and caretaking of these sites. The local workers are paid, which provides them with a source of income. Once the trees reach maturity (2 to 3 years) various by-products can result from their labor and efforts; giving them self-sustainability. Additionally, we aim to provide housing, schools and clinics within those areas to truly provide an improved socio-economic environment.

Why plant 100 Billion Trees in Developing Countries?

Climate change is having an adverse effect on the environment. Developing nations still utilize trees as a primary source to use as fuel, which in turn is resulting in unchecked emissions that are detrimental to the quality of air. There are only 6% of the forests left from the total inventory of the planet’s 26% available at the offset of 19th Century. Changing the quality of air we breathe requires us to plant 10 – 100 times more trees.

How do you finance this ambitious project?

We partner with government agencies, municipalities, corporations, regulatory agencies, sponsorships, and various investors via a teamwork-based goal of environmental protection and sustainability. Individuals can also invest by purchasing a Polo Shirt/T-shirt & a Ball Cap on a site-specific basis. While this mission requires tremendous financial resources to implement, clients or sponsors participate in shared responsible investments with offset afforestation projects and other sustainable or clean energy developments. We also offer our TforTrees ProgramTM to fund project entitlements which increases project returns and builds environmental commodities securities portfolios to help leverage project financing models.

Is tree planting worth it?

Tree planting and stewardship activities provide many benefits including air and storm water quality improvement, water run-off control, water conservation, conservation education, land restoration and revitalization, job training, and economic development. The U.S. Forest Service’s research indicates that when the total economic value of benefits produced by trees is assessed, the total benefits can be 2 to 6 times greater than the cost of tree planting and care. It is from healthy biota, the total collection of organisms of a geographic region and time period, that humans derive eco-system benefits such as food, raw materials, climate regulation, and pollution control. The financial benefits are estimated in the billions of dollars per year. Other ancillary benefits from intact bio-diversity include improved wildlife populations, reduced soil erosion, reduced agro-related pollution resulting in improved water quality and reduced local and regional air pollution. The growing worldwide shortage of sustainable building material for both consumer products and construction industry is a tremendous problem. The ability for independent biomass power producers to obtain feedstock for long-term contracts makes the capital expense of the power project sensible and viable. There is also a need for soil improvement in many agricultural locations that have used traditional farming practices.

Why consider our hybrid trees from TforTrees?

TforTrees and our hybrids are of great interest to organizations worldwide including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. This is because these trees have such important environmental values:

  • Their carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption level is high. CO2 is one of the greenhouse gases – which many scientists think is responsible for the global climate change our planet is experiencing
  • They absorb many other gases and pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone and microscopic particulate matter harmful to humans and the atmosphere.

This tree is a non-genetically modified phyto-remediator, which increases the organic content of degraded soils, processes and filters contaminants through the uptake of its vascular system and releases oxygen into the atmosphere. In this manner, each 3-year old tree could sequester 361 pounds of carbon representing 1,325 pounds of CO2 gas removed from the atmosphere. These trees can be re-harvested multiple times. By planting trees that improve everyone’s quality of life, significant income can be realized once the trees mature and are ready for harvest. TforTrees can arrange forward commodity delivery contracts and can broker carbon credits. There are a variety of trees to choose from for planting, based upon geography, soil quality and overall objectives. Fast growth and enormous leaves facilitate the tree’s immense capacity for carbon absorption. Its deep running root system gives them the ability to reclaim ecologically distressed land.

What special qualities do Hybrid trees have?
  • Transports fluids through a center trunk channel resulting in straight grained and knot free lumber with several growth rings possible in a single year (unlike most trees that transport fluids through the outer cambium layer.)
  • A taproot of over 50-60 feet by the end of the second year is possible.
  • The trunk portion has the unique high-density hardwood tree feature (This equates to much greater amounts of lignin and also sequestered CO2.).
  • A TforTrees typically requires only 300 gallons of water/year (atmosphere & watering sources).
  • Moisture content is 10-12% with a water-based sap higher in sugar content than maple.
  • Hardwood is fire resistant. The University of Texas labelled the wood fire resistant due to its flashpoint of 4,77 degrees (Fahrenheit)
  • Excellent external and internal cladding for energy efficient homes
  • Valued for quality lumber for fine furniture, cabinets, window frames, musical instruments, log homes, moulding, plywood, pulp, paper and wherever quality hardwoods are often needed
  • Regenerates from the stump after harvesting
  • Improves air quality and odour reduction – Both are important environmental benefits
  • Improves water quality – An important environmental benefit
  • Is a viable and vibrant tree crop for either marginal and or poor condition farmland
What is the minimal acreage needed

One thousand acres with 450 trees per acre (i.e., 450,000 trees) is the minimum. We already have over 40 Million Acres under contract or in the final phase of completing the total amount.

How many acres of trees have already planted?

With multiple projects around the globe, we have planted a few million trees through our associate companies.

In what climates, elevations and/or hardiness zones are the HF trees grown?

We suggest they be planted in geographical areas between Zone 6 and 11 (Please note that not all areas of zones 6 and 7 are suitable due to their elevation and severe winter temperatures.). Hardiness zones are a good starting point for assessing site suitability. Temperature Tolerance: Healthy tree plantations can typically withstand a low temperature of -100 F and high temperatures up to +1200 F.

Zone Fahrenheit Celsius Example Cities
1 Below -50 F Below -45.6 Fairbanks, Alaska; Resolute, Northwest Territories (Canada)
2a -50 to -45 F -42.8 to -45.5 C Prudhoe Bay, Alaska; Flin Flon, Manitoba (Canada)
2b -45 to -40 F -40.0 to -42.7 C Unalakleet, Alaska; Pinecreek, Minnesota
3a -40 to -35 F -37.3 to -39.9 C International Falls, Minnesota; St. Michael, Alaska
3b -35 to -30 F -34.5 to -37.2 C Tomahawk, Wisconsin; Sidney, Montana
4a -30 to -25 F -31.7 to -34.4 C Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota; Lewistown, Montana
4b -25 to -20 F -28.9 to -31.6 C Northwood, Iowa; Nebraska
5a -20 to -15 F -26.2 to -28.8 C Des Moines, Iowa; Illinois
5b -15 to -10 F -23.4 to -26.1 C Columbia, Missouri; Mansfield, Pennsylvania
6a -10 to -5 F -20.6 to -23.3 C St. Louis, Missouri; Lebanon, Pennsylvania
6b -5 to 0 F -17.8 to -20.5 C McMinnville, Tennessee; Branson, Missouri
7a 0 to 5 F -15.0 to -17.7 C Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; South Boston, Virginia
7b 5 to 10 F -12.3 to -14.9 C Little Rock, Arkansas; Griffin, Georgia
8a 10 to 15 F -9.5 to -12.2 C Tifton, Georgia; Dallas, Texas
8b 15 to 20 F ‐6.7 to -9.4 C Austin, Texas; Gainesville, Florida
9a 20 to 25 F -3.9 to -6.6 C Houston, Texas; St. Augustine, Florida
9b 25 to 30 F -1.2 to -3.8 C Brownsville, Texas; Fort Pierce, Florida
10a 30 to 35 F 1.6 to -1.1 C Naples, Florida; Victorville, California
10b 35 to 40 F 4.4 to 1.7 C Miami, Florida; Coral Gables, Florida
11 above 40 F above 4.5 C Honolulu, Hawaii; Mazatlan, Mexico
When is the best time to plant and order our saplings?

Our suggested planting season is April through September; To plant early in spring and have a selected “Frost free date” – in time to meet the required timelines and for Tropical regions, the best time to do is after the rainy seasons or before that.

When can I see my plantation turn a profit? What year?

Financial models show a profit potentially as early as Year 2. Others show a payback of 3-5 years, depending upon the project size.

What are the by-products of the "Bee-Friendly" HDHF trees?

By-products are Timber/Lumber/Biomass/ honey & carbon Credits offsets and more. 1,000-acre crop (450,000 trees to 700,000) should produce approximately 13,500,000 board feet (bdft) of highly prized hardwood. This yield could increase to approximately 13,500,000,000 bdft in the tenth year. The wood is light yet strong, dries easily, has a beautiful grain and does not warp, split or crack when nailed. Furthermore, it is projected that timber will rival Black Walnut in price. The trees typically bloom twice a year, in March and October. Estimates are at least 4 lbs of honey may be available per tree, or 1,800 lbs. per acre, providing (an additional opportunity is to work with local beekeepers). Additional benefits may be economic development, business creation, and job creation. With increasing numbers of tree plantations,TforTrees anticipates the resurgence of local sawmills. The business models also consider the opportunity for “biomass feedstock” for conversion to energy as wood pellets and/or wood chips for landscaping/composting. BTU per lbs. is > 8000 and ash content is < 2%, indicating our tree makes for a good energy feedstock. High volatile organic content also indicates our trees may be a good feedstock for bio-refinery use.

Local Benefits

This document has previously described how our tree plantations improve air, water and soil.

Additional benefits are:
  • Our trees provide sources for local lumber and reduce the impact of logging of forests
  • Our trees provide products, materials and services for existing businesses and can help create new ones: e.g., sawmills, compost operations, furniture maker and building material providers, etc
  • Our plantations implement local conservation measures
  • Our trees create sustainable sources of biomass for bio-fuels
This in turn creates:
  • New local businesses.
  • TforTrees projects deliver a number of direct Socio-Economic benefits
  • New money injected into an area through land rental fees
  • New jobs created in the nurseries, plantation planting and management

Communities will benefit from the tree utilization in traditional lumber businesses as well as biomass and bio-fuel projects.

What are some anticipated potential uses of the produced biomass?
  • Green waste in composting and mulch
  • Feedstock for power plants and bio-refineries
  • Local timber and lumber for home and building structure
  • Fuel for heating homes and buildings
  • Biochar for cooking
What is the biomass production per acre per year?

TforTrees Financial models typically consider 90% of the biomass produced as timber and 10% for biomass feedstock/wood pellets/wood chips. A mature tree plantation should produce up to 20 bone-dry metric tonnes per acre or more of biomass depending upon climate. With 10% for biomass feedstock, two (2) bone-dry metric tonnes are available per acre. Biomass feedstock production per year is dependent upon the tree’s age. As presented elsewhere in this document, juvenile trees have grown at rates of 15 -30 feet/year – nearly doubling in size annually.