WHY FORESTS MATTER
Canada’s forests are special areas of irreplaceable beauty and significant biodiversity.
They are an important part of every Canadian’s life. Forests purify water, regulate and cool climate, absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide, produce oxygen and provide habitat and shelter for myriad species.
In fact, more than half of Canada is forested and we have close to 10 per cent of the world’s forests.
Many Canadians also rely on forests for their livelihood, with more than 200,000 employed in the forestry sector alone.
As well, many Canadians visit forests for recreation and contemplation while thousands of international tourists make it a point to take a stroll in the trees. In fact, more tourists visit Canada’s forests than its art galleries, museums, festivals and cultural events.
But these prized places are shrinking. A United Nations report, Global Forest Resource Assessment 2015, found that Canada was one of few developed nations to experience a decline in woodland areas between 1990 and 2015. Conversely, many countries in Europe, plus the United States, China and Australia, turned the tide and increased their forested lands, the UN report found.
Canada also didn’t fare well in the report when it comes to safeguarding forests in parks and protected areas. About seven per cent of the country’s forests are protected for the longterm. That sits far behind the U. S. ( 11 per cent), China ( 13 per cent) Australia ( 17 per cent) and Brazil ( 42 per cent). As a whole, about 17 per cent of global forests have official protection.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada is trying to reverse the decline, though. With a vision to protect areas of natural diversity for their intrinsic value and for future generations, the leading private land conservation organization in the country boasts many programs and partnerships to protect natural habitats.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada and TD Bank Group are working to help conserve the country’s sensitive forest habitats from coast to coast, under the TD Forests program. So far the program has helped the Nature Conservancy of Canada protect 15,000 hectares across Canada.
“When we were designing the TD Forests program, we were seeking a partner who could help us bring to life the need to balance the environmental impact of our lifestyles with forest and biodiversity conservation,” says Karen Clarke- Whistler, chief environment officer of TD Bank Group.
“It’s been terrific to collaborate with a partner like NCC, with its depth of expertise in conserving important ecological areas.”
Despite the recent trends, Canada still holds some of the largest remaining untouched forested areas in the world and the Nature Conservancy of Canada and its partners are trying to protect them.
The non- profit organization works in a wide range of forests across the country, each with its own unique characteristics and needs. To highlight the importance of forests, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, with the support of TD Bank Group, is taking a dynamic speakers series called Why Forests Matter across Canada. The series is in Calgary on Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Markin MacPhail Centre ( second floor) at Canada Olympic Park, 88 Canada Olympic Rd. S. W. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the discussion start sat 7 p.m.
For more information, visit www. nature conservancy.ca/whyforestsmatter