Seems like we have a theme for each day and month of the year. Sometimes they seem silly, sometimes they should stop and make us think. Apparently, unbeknownst to me, this is the International Year of the Forest, made so by the U.N. Who knew?
Since the gals here at B.A.B.E are known treehuggers, this seems a good thematic year!
How important are our forests? (Thanks to Earthwatch & the U.N. site for this compilation)
- 31% of the world’s entire land mass is forest
- Forests are home to a staggering 80% of terrestrial biodiversity
- 300 million people worldwide live in forests, many of whom depend upon them for shelter, medicine and clean water
- The livelihoods of 1.6 billion people depend on forests
- 36% of all forest is primary forest and is undisturbed by humans
- Annual trade in forest products was estimated in 2004 to be US$327 billion
- 30% of the world’s forests are used for the production of timber and non-timber products
There are tons of stats about all the great things forests do, what's in them & why you should save them. There are lots of organizations that would love to have your support (American Forests, Rainforest Action Network, World Wildlife Fund, Nature Conservancy, etc.) so they can do the work that we cannot. Wanna do something? Check one of these out & become a member. That's the easiest way to help make a difference!
Here are my not-so-poetic bullet points for why you should care about forests:
- They are beautiful, amazing, soothing and vital for our survival.
- They provide food, shelter & medicines. Many people you know would be dead if it were not for the medicines found in the forests of the world. True, true...look it up: Rosy Periwinkle.
- City-dwelling trees enhance downtown areas, raise property value and combat air pollution
Anyhoo, point is, take a few minutes,think about what you maybe could do this year to help preserve forests - we have lots of ideas at B.A.B.E - and perhaps, when no one is looking, you could reach out and hug one.
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