Celebrating Our Forests

Every year, Canadians celebrate National Forest Week by focusing on the various ways our forests benefit our communities, our planet, and our economy. This year, National Forest Week takes place September 19th - 25th with the theme "Our forests - continually giving." At Forests Ontario, we are promoting forest education and awareness, while recognizing how our forests give back to us and how we can give back to them.

Our forests are an integral part of our environment. In Canada, they make up 38% of our land mass. The benefits that they provide for our ecosystems cannot be overstated. From providing a home to myriad flora and fauna, to cooling neighbourhoods, to purifying our air and water, to sequestering carbon - our forests truly can do it all. Even after a tree is harvested to create wood products, it continues to provide environmental benefits by sequestering carbon. And that’s just the beginning – our earth is not the only one who reaps the benefits of our forests.

Everyday activities such as a walk in the forest can help to reduce stress and blood pressure, and have the potential to strengthen a person’s immune system. Wood products are also linked to various health benefits, such as improving a person’s short-term memory and enhancing their focus. The economic benefits of our forests can be felt across the country. In Ontario alone, forestry supports 260 communities and over 180,000 jobs.

Since our forests are continually giving to us, we at Forests Ontario are celebrating them all month long! Join Forests Ontario in learning more about our forests and how we can support them. Check out our forest fun booklet, full of educational activities to do at home that encourage you and our youth to learn more about your local trees. Later this month, head over to York Regional Forest’s Eldred King Woodlands and follow along with our virtual hike to learn more about the environment that surrounds you.

Help us support our forests and forest education by donating to Forests Ontario. Your support goes a long way towards our tree planting, forest education, and community awareness programs. So far, Forests Ontario has engaged with almost 17,000 students and educators, worked with over 500 schools in Forest Education programs in more than 200 cities across Canada, and developed over 180 resources for all levels. Our Forest Education programs continue to reach an average of 2,000 students a year. A donation to Forests Ontario means more students can engage in forest education – donate today!