Instead of ‘doomscrolling,’ volunteers fight climate gloom by planting 200 trees in Sacramento

The outlook on humanity’s fight against global warming has been more grim than usual lately.

As the COP29 climate conference unfolds in Azerbaijan, some of the world’s most powerful leaders are notably absent. And Donald Trump, who has dismissed climate change as a “hoax” and a “scam,” is poised to return to the White House.

But more than 200 volunteers found glimmers of hope in the dirt between their fingers Saturday, as they planted more than 200 trees at a park in Del Paso Heights with the California Climate Action Corps.

The event was part of a state initiative launched by Gov. Gavin Newsom where participants, called fellows, serve up to a year working with nonprofits and public agencies. The program focuses on urban greening, reducing food waste and wildfire resilience.

Tree planting “isn’t going to solve a crisis,” said Josh Fryday, chief service officer at California Volunteers, which oversees the fellowship program. But it can give people something to do and serve as an entry point to bring climate action into daily lives.

California is grappling with intensifying impacts of climate change, including record-breaking wildfires, severe droughts, extreme heat waves and rising sea levels. The state has set ambitious climate targets and made record-breaking investments in response.

Trump has promised to rollback the state’s federal emission standards, interfere with clean energy initiatives and reduce support for climate funding. California is already behind on its 2030 emissions targets.

But there are reasons to be hopeful, Fryday said. He recommended being engaged in local politics, conserving energy at home and, of course, planting trees.

“If this is just about politicians and conferences, or doomscrolling on your phone, we’re not going to solve it,” he said. “When you’re outside and getting your hands dirty in the sun with other people, you can feel hope that we’ll solve the problem together.”

After a pep talk from a lineup of local and state leaders, volunteers received a tree planting tutorial and fanned out across the mile-long stretch of Redding Park to plant more than a dozen tree types — including ginkgo, western redbud and Washington hawthorn trees.

‘It’s a start’

The site was selected by local partners including the city of Sacramento as an area in need of more tree cover. Sacramento’s lush urban tree cover helps residents cope with extreme heat and improves air quality but is often distributed inequitably across the city.

“It’s sad to see where we are and hard to stay optimistic,” said Hannah Dominguez, a Climate Action fellow working with the city of Modesto. “But if we lose hope we lose everything. There’s policy and there’s individual action. I don’t think change happens without both.”

The state fellowship program, which receives more applicants each year, aims to empower young people to make tangible environmental impacts in their community and foster community-level resistance to climate change.

Working up a sweat, volunteers young and old said they consider planting trees as an investment in the future.

James Souza, 21, said he feels powerless when learning about melting glaciers and disappearing coral reefs. He’s studying health science, he said, to make positive change where he can.

“This is really what I can control,” Souza said. “The world is dying. But I planted two trees today... it’s a start.”