Why Do Forests Matter?

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Originally appears in the Spring 2023 issue.

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By Danika Strecko

Why do forests matter? There are three important parts to consider. Forests matter for critical environmental, social, and economic reasons. Together, these three types of reasons can show students why it’s essential that we work together to ensure the sustainability of our forests if we care about the future of our planet. Sustainably managed forests and the products they produce are powerful tools to achieve shared goals like climate action, conserving biodiversity, educating future generations, and sustaining economic development. 

Forests also offer a great way to help teachers engage students on many sustainability topics. Students are motivated to make positive contributions to the long-term health of people and the planet. Forests are living laboratories that can provide students with the opportunity to study ecosystems, conservation, and natural resource management.

A deeper look at these opportunities, along with myriad inspiring ways to support forests, is part of the Project Learning Tree Forest Literacy Framework: A Guide to Teaching and Learning About Forests (www.pltcanada.org/en/forest-literacy or plt.org/forestliteracy). Project Learning Tree (PLT) is committed to advancing environmental education, forest literacy, and green career pathways, using trees and forests as windows on the world.