World Forestry Day - Plant a Tree

Tomorrow, March 21, 2010 is the date that has been designated as World Forestry Day. It coincides with the autumnal equinox in the Southern Hemisphere and the vernal equinox in the Northern.

This worldwide observance was a product of the 23rd General Assembly of the European Confederation of Agriculture in 1971. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization put its stamp of approval on it later that year as they recognized the value of having a day every year (March 21st) to direct the world's attention to the importance of protecting and nourishing our forests.  Conservation is a predominant theme in the celebrations.  It promotes awareness and encourages communities to plant and manage trees that are native to the area.

Many people immediately think of a forest as just a lot of trees.  They miss out on the fact that it is an entire living community that consists of several layers and micro-communities.  The trees are the backbone of a forest, but it takes many types of flora and fauna to make it whole. 

What can you do to celebrate and acknowledge World Forestry Day? 

• Plant a tree!  
• If that's not feasible, go and visit a local forest.  Spend the afternoon walking in the woods, enjoying nature and paying attention to the diverse forms of life that a forest truly is. 
• Learn about the contributions forests make to your life.  Think about the different things that surround you that are the product of a forest.   
• Just enjoy nature.

For more information, you can visit these sites:

Bloggers Unite
Fraoch Wood
Oklahoma Forestry Services
Forest Health (this link has a really cool page about the life cycle of a forest tree)