Shell partnered with Houston Wilderness to plant more than 6,700 native super trees in the Greater Houston region last year as part of our ambition to build a more sustainable community by building flood resilience and improving air quality.

This effort is also part of the City of Houston’s ambition plan to plant 4.6 million new trees by 2030 as outlined in its Climate Action Plan, and Resilient Houston plan. This systematic approach to conservation protects the natural environment along the Houston Ship Channel and surrounding areas, while helping combat coastal and shoreline erosion.

The thousands of native Super Tree species planted under the Houston Ship Channel TREES Program are ranked in priority based on their respective levels of air pollution absorption (GHGs), water absorption and carbon sequestration. “Large-scale native Super Tree plantings provide a multitude of ecosystem services - increased air & water quality, erosion control, urban heat island reduction, phytoremediation and habitat enhancement," said Deborah January-Bevers, President of Houston Wilderness.

Shell volunteers participated in several of the Super Tree planting events around the city over the course of the year while Shell business funded many of the plantings, along with other public and private funders.

Once the trees are planted, they are watered and monitored for at least two years to ensure a high rate of survival.

The species included American Sycamore, American elm, Green Ash, Live Oak, and Water Oak, among others. The trees collectively will:

  • Sequester more than 1 million pounds of carbon per year, the equivalent of the emissions from 1.12 million miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle
  • Once the trees mature to about ten years old, they’ll sequester more than 5 million pounds of carbon, or the equivalent of 5.6 million miles driven by an average gasoline-fueled vehicle
  • Strengthen Houston’s flood resilience by absorbing more than 19 million gallons of water runoff per year
  • Remove more than 10,000 pounds of particulate matter per year
  • Create a tree canopy spanning 88,208 square feet, the equivalent of 294 football fields

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