Yesterday on Forest Day...

... many people wanted to say something about forests on the theme of Healthy Forests for Healthy People, with human health and well-being as the starting point. Naturarvet has the well-being of old-growth forests as its primary focus:
Of Sweden's land area of 41 million hectares, about 20% is unproductive land. The rest, i.e. 80%, is productive land which, without man, would be covered with prosperous primeval forest.
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If we put modern man into the picture, we get the following figures: 0.3% is classified as primeval forest and 2% is classified as natural forest. Of Sweden's total land area, 3% is formally protected productive forest land, the same area as is built on by humans. And the same area of productive forest land that has high nature values and lacks formal protection.
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This 3% unprotected productive forest land with high nature values is scattered like isolated islands in a heavily cultivated landscape. The 1-2 percent that are contiguous and can be found as the larger part of an individual property or as an aggregate area of parts of neighboring properties, it is on the very small proportion of Sweden's land area that Naturarvet can find the old-growth forest pearls that need to be protected through Natural Heritage's acquisition.
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And it is urgent to find the pearls of old-growth forest. Unfortunately, they are being cut down faster than they are protected. We have until 2030. Even if we do not achieve Sweden's environmental quality objectives and international commitment to protect the forest that has never been clear-cut, every forest that can be preserved in perpetuity through Naturarvet is important - for protect biodiversity and as small parachutes that slow down the climate crisis with its carbon-eating ecosystem - the most effective land-based carbon sink we have.

Now that International Forestry Day has reminded us of the existence of forests, give the next old-growth forest a loving thought today and turn that thought into your contribution to preserving the last old-growth forests and the precious Life on Earth!

Lav well!

Lo and Ywonne