Community Forests International

Check out Forests Canada new initiative, the Reforest Canada Collective! 📗🤝 The collective will serve as a space that connects Canada's tree planting and forest restoration community for knowledge sharing and collaboration. You will be able to get help with project planning, implementation-focused resources, and connect with peers and partners. 🌱 From guides to successful tree planting to events about seed processing, the new platform offers useful tools for anyone working on tree planting projects nation wide. 🌲 You can learn more about the collective here https://loom.ly/2Uo86pA 👆 #forests #treeplanting #reforestcanadacollective

Today's launch day! I'm happy to announce the new Reforest Canada Collective website and community. As this network grows, Sarah and I aim to build and expand on resources and events to connect tree planting efforts across Canada for #2billiontrees and beyond! Please share with your networks and sign up for updates inside: https://lnkd.in/gbPbs6AJ Thank you to the working group members: Tree Canada / Arbres Canada Agroforestry & Woodlot Extension Society Shakti by TELUS Community Forests International New Brunswick Federation of Woodlot Owners ALUS Cariboo Carbon Solutions Forests Canada #forestscanada #canadianforests #2billiontrees #treeplantingcanada #treeplanting #forests #reforestcollective

Did you know that the health of our forests is directly linked to the diversity of bird species? New research in Eastern Canada shows that clear-cutting and short rotation forestry can negatively impact biodiversity and carbon storage. 🌲🌲 Old-growth forests are homes for many animal species and their tree biomass stores significant amounts of carbon. These forests have a complex structure with lots of different types of trees, dead wood, and understory plants. Unfortunately, many forests are being cut down and replaced with younger, less diverse forests. This loss of old-growth forests is harming wildlife, especially birds that rely on these unique habitats. Even though there might be more trees in total, the quality of the forests has declined. Generally, it takes several decades for a newly planted tree to offset the carbon emissions associated with harvesting an old-growth tree. However, by implementing ecological forestry practices and replanting efforts, we can help ensure that forests continue to absorb carbon and mitigate climate change. Lets protect our forests by implementing sustainable harvesting practices that focus on climate resiliency. You can read the full article here https://loom.ly/RGsbMP0

Do you know what indicator species are? Indicator species are species whose presence, absence, or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition. A research paper on the correlation of forest degradation and carbon loss, identified the following bird species as indicators of carbon loss. 1. Blackburnian Warbler: Known for its bright orange throat and striking black and white stripes, this warbler is a true beauty of the northern forests. 2. Black-throated Green Warbler: This warbler is a master of camouflage, blending seamlessly into its coniferous forest habitat. 3. Black-throated Blue Warbler: With its distinctive blue-gray plumage, this warbler is a common sight in eastern North American forests. 4. Ovenbird: This ground-nesting bird gets its name from its oven-shaped nest, which is often hidden beneath leaf litter. The conservation of these birds' habitat should also provide carbon storage benefits. We were happy to identify three of these bird species in one of the forests in our care! Have you seen any of them? You can learn more about the link between biodiversity and carbon storage here https://loom.ly/RGsbMP0 Photo credits: Oregon State University through Flickr #conservation #birds #carbonstorage #forestprotection

One of the greatest things landowners can do to help climate change is learn about your forests. "If we don't know something is happening, we can't address it. So, knowing your land, knowing what you have and how it's changing is really important" - Kara Constanza, forest pathologist. 🌲 Mature forests with complex structures, like those with a variety of tree ages and sizes, support a diverse range of wildlife. These forests provide essential habitats for many bird species. Recent studies in eastern Canada have shown that frequent logging of mature forests has led to a decline in habitat and populations of birds that rely on these forests. This is despite an overall net gain in forest cover for the same region. 🐦 There are approximately 90,000 private forest owners in the Maritimes. Just in New Brunswick, small private landowners account for 30% of the land (1.9 million ha). The actions that each of these landowners implemented in the forests they own have a big impact on the planet, and it all starts with getting to know your forests. 🌱 We developed a Wabanaki Forest Care Guide fore anyone interested in connecting and learning more about their forests.. You can access the guide for free here https://loom.ly/LCv1fu4 or you can also purchase a physical copy if you prefer. 📗 The guide helps you understand your forest through the four different seasons. #forests #forestry #conservation #biodiversity

Are you a mangrove expert looking to make a positive impact on coastal ecosystems? 🌴 Community Forests Pemba and Community Forests International are seeking a highly qualified Mangrove Specialist to join our team and support our ZanzAdapt project in Zanzibar, Tanzania. This is a 12-month consultancy position that will involve travel to Tanzania lasting approximately 1-2 weeks. The Mangrove specialist will support the ZanzAdapt project. A project that focuses on empowering communities to protect and restore mangrove ecosystems through training, capacity building, and establishing governance frameworks. Duties will involve developing and delivering training programs on mangrove conservation, supporting community-based mangrove restoration and management, monitoring and evaluating project impacts. To apply, please submit your proposal by December 5th, 2024. You can learn more about the position and how to submit your proposal here https://lnkd.in/ejDcsRxN #mangroveconservation #climatechange #sustainability #jobopportunity #zanzibar #tanzania 

🌲Forest extension services empower land stewards and forest professionals with tools and knowledge to manage forestlands effectively 🌿 Recently, the University of New Brunswick hosted an exciting Forest Extension Summit, led by Dr. Tom Beckley of the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management. This event explored opportunities to develop a new forest extension program tailored to New Brunswick's unique needs. 🪓 Community Forests, alongside ACFOR Ltd., participated as speakers in the summit and presented our research and proposal for a forest extension program in NB. The summit included presentations from different professionals across Canada and the US, and left us with great connections and lessons learned about possible models for adoption here. Here are a few takeaways from the presentations: 1. An essential step in the development of forest extension services is clearly identifying the problems, so that we can design the right solutions. 2. There are many people who can make a management plan that focuses on ecological forest stewardship, but there are not many people who can implement such a thing. There is a knowledge gap on both sides, among both forest professionals and land stewards. 3. In NB, we already have a variety of organizations focusing on different issues and with different expertise. A key element in a forest extension program is having an impartial stakeholder who oversees program administration. So who who would best fill that role? 4. There are more than 40,000 private landowners in NB, including family forest owners, land trusts, and Indigenous land holding groups, each with various goals and interests for their forests. We need to improve communications and and connections with all of these land stewards to create a program that will be helpful and valuable to the different type of landowners. What do you think are the biggest needs that land stewards have? What do you most need support with? #forestry #forests #newbrusnwick #forestprotection

Forest Degradation vs Forest Loss 🌲 It's important to understand the difference between forest loss and forest degradation as these are two different terms that entail different outcomes. Forest loss refers to the permanent conversion of forest land to non-forest land. This typically entails the removal of forests for agriculture, urbanization, or other human activities. This state will often involve considerable damage to the native forests and its biodiversity, and it would be almost impossible to restore a functioning forest ecosystem. On the other hand, forest degradation refers to a decline in the quality of a forest ecosystem. This can occur through various activities including, selective logging that does not account for ecological benefits, overgrazing, forest fires, clearcutting, and climate change. Depending on the level of degradation, a degraded forest has the potential for recovery. Understanding these two terms will allow us to take the right action to protect our forests. Listen to our podcast episode with Matt Betts, and learn more about the impacts of forest degradation on biodiversity. 🎧 Listen to the podcast here: https://loom.ly/m5z5fd0

Did you know that New Brunswick's forests are a significant source of carbon emissions? 🌲 Matt Betts, a professor at the University of Oregon in the department of Forest ecosystems and society, updated his research on the correlation of forest degradation and carbon and biodiversity loss. His findings are eye opening, and it shows the importance of having information backed up by science to assess the situation and come up with solutions. This study reflects data from 1985-2020. Here are some of the key highlights of his new research: 📄 1. Conversion of forests to younger forests in NB has been a significant source of atmospheric carbon. The loss of trees (above-ground biomass) is approximately equivalent to -236.15 Tg of atmospheric Co2. You can compare this to the annual emissions of approximately 51,336,956 cars consuming 2,000 liters of gas per year. 🚗 2. Even after accounting for the carbon stored in products made from harvested wood, net emissions from forest harvest are estimated at 141 Tg CO2e since 1985. This is equivalent to the annual emissions approximately 30,652,172 cars. 🌲 3. The highest loss in above-ground carbon is attributed to industrial private land (-23%) followed by Provincial Crown land (-17%), and small private land coming last (-12%). 🗺️ 4. The small amount of biomass lost (carbon released) in protected areas that had not been harvested in the past 35 years proved that most carbon emissions are not attributable to natural disturbance but to clearcutting. In 2022, the study found strong correlations between the amount of forest clearcut and decline in above-ground biomass. 🪓 5. Birds that rely on old-growth forests, like Blackburnian Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, and Ovenbird, are declining rapidly. This is because their habitat is being destroyed through logging practices. 🐦 You ca read the full article here https://loom.ly/RGsbMP0 #forests #foresthealth #conservation #forestprotection #forestry

Community Forests and the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners Association hosted a field-tour about climate adaptive forest management. We were happy to host 18 private forest owners, and show them one of our demonstration sites for continuous shelterwood implementations. Continuous shelterwood is a management technique where trees are gradually removed over time to cerate a more open canopy and encourage new growth. It is a method that helps maintain the forest's structure and stability during the transition of high-risk ecosystems to resilient native species stands. Our goal with these events is to share our research and lessons learned with climate adaptive forest management. Stay tuned for upcoming events in 2025! #conservation #forestry #forestmanagement #climatechange