Did you know? International Forest Day was on 21 March in South Africa (same day as Human Rights Day).
Most of the country enjoyed the day off to share with family and friends, or to just kick back, take a deep breath and relax. But we should probably give thanks to the forests for being able to breathe at all.
In celebration of International Forest Day, here are some breath-taking images of forests from around the world.
You should visit…
Forestry South Africa launched a brand-new, illustration-rich website called Forestry Explained that has everything you ever wanted to know about forestry in our country. Check out this fantastic infographic below.
Here are some more fascinating facts about forests in South Africa, according to Forestry Explained:
- Natural forests cover around a third of all land on Earth. They are our planet’s ‘lungs’, taking in carbon dioxide (CO2), a major greenhouse gas, and storing the carbon while releasing oxygen for all living organisms to live and thrive.
- Natural forests are like living cities. They provide the vital natural infrastructure for some of the planet’s most diverse collections of life, along with 60 million indigenous people.
- By absorbing CO2 and heat, natural forests help to cool our planet. When intact, they can influence rainfall patterns and reduce flood peaks, as well as helping to refill our ground water stores.
- In South Africa, 0.4% of the country’s landmass is covered by natural forests – around half a million hectares (ha) with a further 39 million ha covered by Savannah systems.
Let’s keep our forest’s alive. Remember to PLANT YOUR OWN TREE and use paper sparingly!