About
The Future Forestry Foundation
OneTree.org is the flagship campaign of The Future Forestry Foundation, a fledgling nonprofit organization headquartered in Cape Coral, Florida USA. We represent the culmination of nearly two decades of volunteer environmental work in the region. In that timeframe, Cape Coral has consistently been in the top ten fastest growing cities in the United States. We have witnessed the pace of deforestation and urban sprawl firsthand and made it our mission to try and replace as many trees as humanly possible.
This work now takes on a greater urgency after the earth shattering 2015 report, Mapping Tree Density in the Journal Science which discovered our species is responsible for deforestation at a pace not previously imagined. With a tree deficit of over 11 billion each year and Florida being on the front-lines of sea level rise, The Future Forestry Foundation is committed to reforesting at a pace worthy of such urgency. We're here with the mission of planting one tree per person, per year. Together we can reverse deforestation and combat climate change.
Please, sponsor a tree today. Thank you.
Russell J Ringland
Founder
My childhood was spent on a farm digging in the mud, playing in streams, catching snapping turtles, fishing, camping in the woods and developing my life long interest in trees. We had a stream that ran through our farm where I would play all day. My parents always had projects for me which included planting trees or a garden, and taking care of our farm animals. My favorites were the chickens. As a little boy, I would go to the barn and kiss each chicken good night.
Outdoor living is still an important aspect of my life. My children and I frequently camp out or spend time in the woods. When I moved to Cape Coral, the lack of trees and anything natural ignited a passion for making a big change in the world. That is when I began to plant as many trees as possible every year. We started with a small planting the first year, and as we were able to get sponsors and volunteers we increased the size of each planting. Our goal is to plant as many trees as possible at the beginning of the rainy season and then place mulch around the trees a couple times a month the rest of the year. Thank you for supporting The Future Forestry Foundation. It means the world to me.
Charles J. (John) Ringland, II
Project Coordinator
I was raised in the country and spent much of my time in the woods, climbing trees, playing in streams and ponds, and learning how mother nature works. As a little boy I would lay in the clover and put sugar water on my fingers to attract honey bees. At that young age, I thought I could simply catch a bunch of bees and put them in a jar to build my very own hive. Little did I know of the complex relationship involved in a honey bee hive, or their reliance on the ecosystem as a whole. When I was much older I started to hear the stories from my Mom about the bees she found in my pockets, mice in jars in my bedroom, and snakes in boxes in my bedroom. I thought this type of behavior was normal. A love of nature has been a part of me as long as I can remember.
Fast forward to Cape Coral Florida, and the lack of anything tree related. In the 1960’s the area that became Cape Coral was scraped clean of all vegetation, canals were dug and land was sold. In 1993 our family moved to Cape Coral and started a construction company. We began planting trees in our yard and on projects we built. When the Mid-Point Bridge was completed, Russ put together a group of people to plant trees along the first section of the road way connected to the bridge. As the roadway was extended westward, Russ continued to organize plantings. To date, we have planted more than 10,000 trees.
Every year Russ and I have been able to get small donations from local business, Rotary, Kiwanis, and friends to help offset the cost of planting trees. With your help, OneTree.org marks the beginning of doing much much more. Thank you!
Wil Revehl
Advancement Director
Bio coming soon.