National
Forest Week is sponsored across Canada by the CFA and regionally
by various provincial forestry agencies, corporations, agencies
and individuals.
2008 National Forest Week: September 21 to
27
Theme: Canada's Forests - Biodiversity in a Changing World
Biodiversity is defined in many ways but has at its root
in the word diverse, which meansconsisting
of different things or differing
in some way from one another. Simply put, biodiversity is the variety of life
on Earth from invisible microbes to giant whales.
It is critical to conserve biodiversity because of the many
benefits it provides. A wide spectrum of species contribute
toward life-sustaining planetary processes, such as exchanging
oxygen for carbon dioxide, filtering and purifying water,
breaking down wastes and toxins, pollinating plants and creating
productive soil.
Protecting Earth's plant diversity is important in order
to combat global climate change, one of the most serious
environmental challenges facing Earth's biodiversity. The
problem isn't just that our climate is changing, but also
the rate of change. According to the Canadian Wildlife Service,
over the next 100 years climate change is expected to cause
the mean annual temperature in Canada to rise between 5 and
10ºC. It is also likely to bring an increase in the
number of days of extreme heat, and extreme weather events
such as droughts and heavy rainstorms. Other projected effects
include coastline flooding and increased incidence of forest
fires.
There are many things we can do to help mitigate the effects
of global climate change in order to reverse the negative
impact on biodiversity worldwide. These include simple lifestyle
changes like cutting down on energy usage (turning off lights,
hanging out laundry to dry, car pooling, etc.), re-using
items and packaging, planting trees, becoming actively involved
in conservation groups and their associated activities, to
name but a few.
To meet Canada's obligations under the Convention on Biological
Diversity, the Canadian Biodiversity Strategy was developed
in 1995 by federal, provincial and territorial bodies. Each
province and territory is responsible for biodiversity conservation
within its own jurisdiction. more>>>
From crowded cities to spacious countryside, events across
the country will celebrate the role and importance of our
forests during 2008 National Forest Week, September 21 to
27.
History
Established circa 1920 as Forest Fire Prevention Week, the
intention was to encourage greater public awareness towards
Canada's forests. At the time, there was no apparent shortage
of trees for industrial expansion – the greatest
threat came from forest fires, due mainly to human causes.
Since then National Forest Week, as it was renamed
in 1967, has evolved to encompass the many and varied human
and environmental aspects of Canada's forest resources –
past, present and future.
Although special activities are promoted across
Canada, National Forest Week remains first and foremost a
challenge to individual Canadians to learn more about their
forest heritage and support greater recognition of this valuable
resource.
National Forest Week is observed annually during
the last full week of September, Sunday through Saturday.
How to Participate in National
Forest Week
- arrange a tree planting: www.treecanada.ca
- take a walk in woods nearby and get to know your forest
- care for a newly planted or neglected tree, and study its
species
- identify all the things at home or school that are made
of wood
- learn about organizations that demonstrate sustainable forest
management
- tour a forest sector industry or processing site
- learn about the prevention of forest fires
- contact a provincial
forestry association for teaching materials
Register
Your National Forest Week Event
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