International Day of Forests: March 21

 International Day of Forests: March 21

How many people even know that there is an International Day of Forests? Given the present situation of climate change, which is wreaking havoc on forests and all nature due, in large part, to us humans who should be shaking in our boots.  We have failed to do our share to prevent global warming. At this late date, can we atone and make a concerted effort to help to protect at least one of nature’s special treasures - our trees and forests?

In a world where over 90% of its people live in urban situations, it behooves us to take care of forests which, not so many years ago, covered much of the earth, especially in North America.  Early pioneers saw in trees and forests a wide variety of wood products which did, and continues to provide lumber for homes, dwellings, buildings, furniture etc.  Today, Indigenous Peoples and conscientious conservationists have taken a stand to protect our forests and trees from wanton destruction and clear cutting, often without success or support of governments that cast a blind eye to the cry for justice for the earth.

There are many forests throughout the world, including the largest, the Amazon which shares its location with nine nations: the Tropical Rainforests in Congo, New Guinea, Borneo, Burmese, and Valdwan. Other beautiful forests include Germany’s Black Forest, United States’ Redwood’s National and State parks, and Australia’s Duintree Rainforest to name a few.

Not to be outdone in beauty are Canada’s magnificent lakes and forests, located in every province, claiming almost 10% of the world’s forests.  Recently, I read about Canada’s amazing boreal forest which is the world’s largest intact forest ecosystem. It stretches across 1.2 billion acres (485 million hectares) of northern Canada, from Yukon to Newfoundland and Labrador.  It represents 25% of the world's only intact forest, even more than the Amazon rainforest.  In the almost decade since these statistics appeared, it would be interesting to know how much of the boreal (northern) forest has been victim to fires, climate change, resource development, pipelines, roads, and urban development.

Considering the greed in our world, we realize that only concentrated effort will help to preserve the trees and forests that populate our world.  Changing our lifestyle is our only hope, so go ahead, hug a tree, and thank Mother Nature on behalf of all those who care!

I share with you the lovely poem, Trees, by  Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918).

-Sister Jean Moylan, CSJ

Images: Unsplash: Arnaud Mesureur  | Olena Bohovyk                       

March 21, International Day of Forests

March 21, International Day of Forests

Image: Unsplash/Maxim Hopman

Forests evoke a sense of mystery and awe for me. I recall the wonder I felt walking alone in a pine forest in our Northwest Territories: I am mesmerized by photos of giant trees in BC that beckon me and awake a longing to spend silent retreats in their midst. Yet such forests also evoke sadness.  Stories of new oil pipelines and clear-cut logging in what remains of the never-to-be replaced old-growth forests in BC seem catastrophic. Why is it that we have not protected this national heritage?   And then there is the Amazon rain forest. In the March 17, 2022 edition of The Washington Post, an article by Terrence McCoy “The Amazon Undone; Death in the Forest” describes the ongoing destruction of a place of beauty, a place that preserves our climate. Along the 500 mile Highway 319 which runs through a largely preserved area of the Brazilian Amazon.  New sideroads, extreme violence, land grabbers, fires, and deforestations are present. People disappear and their bodies are never found. Large new farms on illegally deforested land are hidden among the trees.  And there is conflict between environmentalists and citizens. For example, Manaus, a city of 2.2. million is cut off from Brazil’s highway system and wants the highway to make travel easier and enable development. Yet environmentalists claim: “What has historically been a carbon sink could suddenly become a ‘carbon bomb’ upending the world’s efforts to avert catastrophic warming.”

I believe action to preserve forests is required of all of us. Some wonderful work has been done by researchers in Canada and the Amazon. We need to keep ourselves informed of such research, stories about the destruction of forests, and add our voices to those who protest these events.

-Sister Pat McKeon, csj

International Day of Forests

image: unsplash/Geran de Klerk

Spring has arrived! On Tuesday, March 22nd we will celebrate World Water Day! And in between, you might want to nestle into the breathing lungs of our planet: trees!

The International Day of Forests, celebrated every year on March 21st raises awareness about the values, significance, and contributions of the forests in balancing the lifecycle of the earth.

Nalini Nadkarni shares her love of the forests, the trees that drew her into a career in forest ecology. By researching religious texts of many faith communities, she celebrates with profound awareness, the gift of trees.  Her energy and insight are brought to us in conversation on Tapestry: Connecting to our Roots: the Spirituality of Trees. I found this a joy to listen to. Why not join me in wonder and delight.

Earlier this month Nalini spoke with the CBC, and asked us to reimagine our relationship with trees. Read & listen here.

 -Sister Loretta Manzara, csj