A Local 'Lorax' Is Raising His Voice For More Trees In Fairfield

FAIRFIELD, CT — Care for his planet and concern about its future have prompted one local student to start getting active.

Ryan Romeo, 11, who will be heading into sixth grade soon at Tomlinson Middle School, wants to see something done to counter what he sees as the dangerous decay of the planet.

“I really just wanted to find a way to help the environment,” he said. “And I thought it would be easy if every kid around the world could plant one tree.”

To move his plan forward, Ryan — who just graduated from McKinley Elementary School — created a PowerPoint presentation titled, “Trees for Our Future: (More Trees Please).” In it, he outlines his reasoning and makes the call for people to help.

“Scientists say that if we plant 1 trillion trees and create more forests,” Ryan writes, “the world will halt global warming to 2.7 degrees because of their effective ability to absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide out of the air.”

Mary Hogue, chair of Fairfield’s Forestry Committee and a member of the Sustainable Fairfield Task Force, helped advise Ryan on creating his presentation in tandem with the Sustainable Fairfield Students group, of which Ryan is the youngest member.

“We used that presentation recently to present to the Trumbull Conservation Commission about our tree planting program,” she said.

There are also plans in the works for Ryan, who has been aided by Fairfield’s tree warden, Jeffrey Minder, in his pursuit, to do the presentation for the Board of Selectmen.

“Ryan is totally dedicated to the value and benefits of trees,” Hogue said. “And we plan to continue working with Ryan again during the fall.”

In his presentation — and in person — Ryan explains quite convincingly why trees are beneficial. Reasons run from the obvious, such as filtering the air and assuaging soil erosion, to those more subtle, such as the effect trees have on mental and emotional health.

“They help a lot because they cool cities and streets down by up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. … They help kids learn. … They reduce violence and stress in people … and they improve property values,” he said.

Hogue concurred.

“There are countless studies that prove the many benefits of trees, which Ryan has included in his presentation,” she said.

His mother, Katie Romeo, said she was very proud of the work he was attempting to do.

“He’s always been very concerned about the environment, and he finally found a way that he could do something about it,” she said.

Still, it’s not always easy being green, as Ryan is finding.

Organizing his efforts has been somewhat challenging, with different individuals and groups very busy and sometimes hard to engage. As summer winds down, however, he intends to reach out again to the different agencies in the hopes of moving his initiative farther along with everyone's help.

“Kids are really our future,” he said. “And it would help if kids could help take responsibility.”