Manhattan Beach Kid Wants To Plant Trees To Fight Climate Change

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — An 11-year-old Manhattan Beach resident wants to plant trees in Manhattan Beach to increase the tree canopy in the city and help fight climate change.

Ryan Beaupain, a Manhattan Academy student, told The Beach Reporter he couldn’t find a shady tree to sit under after playing soccer at Begg Field near Polliwog Park in Manhattan Beach. There’s a “field next to it covered with dirt,” Ryan told the news website, “there could be an oak there and provide a lot of shade.”

"I always wondered what an eleven year old kid in wildfire-ravaged California could do about climate change," Ryan said on his fundraiser page. "I have heard about Greta Thunberg, the student climate protests, and the differences they have made. I have heard about how President Donald Trump has rolled back several environmental regulations while temperatures continue to rise."

Ryan decided to take action by submitting a proposal to the City of Manhattan Beach and starting a fundraiser, according to his GoFundMe page. Mayor Nancy Hersman directed him to Director of Public Works Stephanie Katsouleas, who set up a meeting with Ryan to discuss which trees and where to buy them from.

Ryan's goal is to plant five to 10 trees, and each one costs about $3,000, he told The Beach Reporter. His goal is to raise $30,000 for his tree planting project, and he has raised $2,595 as of Friday morning. He pointed out on his GoFundMe page that Manhattan Beach has a 3 percent tree canopy coverage, while Baltimore, Maryland has a 20 percent tree canopy coverage.

Ryan said he wants to fight climate change, but also wants to have a solution that "immediately benefits everyone." Planting trees in parks and urban areas is a "win-win," Ryan said, because people will be shaded from the sun, animals will have more shelter and the trees help the climate by "sucking out carbon dioxide," he said.

"Imagine your favorite park or place that trees are common in. Now imagine all those trees disappearing," Ryan said. "Trees add personality to the land."

For more information or to donate to Ryan's cause, visit his GoFundMe page.

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