Carbon Bank

What is the Sustainable Sandhills carbon bank?

A carbon bank is a planting of trees or other vegetative materials that are nourished to grow and sequester carbon. Our community reaps the environmental and social benefits from carbon banking.

The Sustainable Sandhills carbon banks are a collaboration between Sustainable Sandhills and Cumberland County Schools. We embarked on this initiative in 2017 to improve local air quality, reduce the urban heat island effect and sequester carbon from the atmosphere. Our carbon bank are comprised of more than 4,000 loblolly and longleaf pine trees at three Cumberland County Schools properties: the Educational Resource Center, Sunnyside Elementary School and Gallberry Farm Elementary School. In 2025, we planted a carbon “bankette,” comprised of about 40 trees, at E.E. Miller Elementary School.

How much carbon has been sequestered?

Since their plantings, the Sustainable Sandhills and Cumberland County Schools carbon banks have sequestered 976 tons of carbon dioxide (as of May 2025).* That’s the equivalent of removing just over 200 gasoline powered vehicles from the road, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

* The trees at E.E. Miller were not factored into this figure. They will not be factored into carbon sequestration data until 2030.

How do we calculate the amount of carbon sequestered?

The trees in the carbon banks can be factored into carbon sequestration data once they reach about five years of age.

We calculate the amount of carbon sequestered by our carbon banks with a scientific algorithm that factors variables such as tree height, circumference and species. We use NASA’s GLOBE Observer app to track and analyze data.

How do the carbon banks benefit Cumberland County Schools and the community?

The carbon banks can serve as living laboratories for students to learn about carbon sequestration, air quality and the impacts of trees on healthy habitats in the Sandhills. In addition, they contribute to cleaner air, and they provide sources of food and homes for dozens of wildlife species.

Why are loblolly and longleaf pine trees important to the natural environment of the Sandhills?

The Sandhills of NC are home to one of the last remaining natural tracts of longleaf pines in America. The longleaf pine ecosystem is the second-most biological diverse ecosystem in the world (second to tropical rainforests) with over 900 species of plants, animals and insects. Deforestation, development and improper forest management have decimated the longleaf pine ecosystem, but Sustainable Sandhills and its partners are striving to restore and protect this important natural resource for generations to come.

How can volunteers be involved?

The Sustainable Sandhills team must measure the trees in the carbon banks to collect carbon sequestration data on a regular basis, and we can’t do that alone. We need volunteers to assist with planting and measuring trees as well as collecting, tracking and analyzing data.

We hold carbon bank volunteer days in the winter – usually during dormant season in January and February.

If you’re interested in volunteering, contact Trinity Vetere at trinity@sustainablesandhills.org.

I’d like a carbon bank at my school or on my property. How can I make that happen?

Sustainable Sandhills would love to chat with you about expanding our carbon banks throughout the Sandhills on both publicly-owned and private property. Email us at info@sustainablesandhills.org, and we’ll schedule a meeting to discuss the options further.