Over 900 students celebrate Forest Day today

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By BBN Staff: Today is International Forest Day 2017. The theme this year is: “Forest 4 life”.

Over 900 children and youths are expected to gather at the Sacred Heart Auditorium to celebrate the importance of forests to their lives.

The event is being hosted by the Forestry Department. These students will join forest conservation partners in the Forest for Life celebrations at the Sacred Heart Junior College Auditorium, San Ignacio Town.

The students will use poems, songs, dances and drama presentations to help echo that our dependency on forests is more than just our appreciation for its beauty, but to highlight that forests help to protect our watersheds, and supply the oxygen, food and energy we need to survive.

The event also highlights forests as an important climate change solution, helping to mitigate the threats of changes to our climate and encouraging sustainable management opportunities for all our people.

A special part of the celebration is the official launch of the Forest 4 Life initiative, which was developed in consultation with young people from communities countrywide, and is aimed at raising their level of awareness and involvement in forest stewardship.

“We encourage our young people to become champions of sustainable forest management by first becoming more aware of the importance of our forests and understanding their role in forest conservation,” explained Chief Forest Officer, Wilber Sabido.

According to a recent study, although most young people ranked the highest in positive attitudes towards forest protection, they processed the lowest in knowledge of the social, economic or environmental benefits and opportunities of forests. There is a need to connect our young people with nature, which is critical for the future of our people and forests, the Department said.  With hundreds of schools less than one mile from forested areas, schools should increase students’ outdoor learning experiences to empower youths and foster awareness and concern about our interdependence on forests resources.

Forest 4 Life has already become a growing movement of over 1,000 children and young people.

The initiative continues to partner with government, non-government, educational institutions and businesses seeking to promote wise management of our forest ecosystems, goods and services.

 

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