According to the Tree Foundation, “forests are the lungs of the earth: essential for environmental stability and human health and happiness.”
Unfortunately, our forests are under attack. As a result of development, mining, logging, and unsustainable farming, our forests are quickly being destroyed. If we continue down the path we are on, we could soon witness the disappearance of vital ecosystems.
Fortunately, there are several solutions available – many of which you can begin to implement immediately.
Slow Deforestation with Digitalization
Bryan McKenzie, Co-Founder of the blog BumperCrop Times, says “one of the best ways to slow down deforestation is digitalization.”
As a landscape designer and gardening expert, McKenzie believes that “in order to restore the damaged ecosystems, we all should take time and dedicate a place in our yards to plant new trees and care for them the way they deserve.”
McKenzie acknowledged that “it’s very easy to go fully digital when you have a computer and a smartphone or tablet,” but made the following suggestions for people who strive to conserve our forests:
- Ditch printing or print only double-sided papers to reduce the amount of paper you use. It would be even better if you buy only bamboo paper as it takes just 5 years for bamboo plants to reach maturity, while trees usually need decades.
- Pay your bills digitally to reduce the number of printed bills;
- Borrow paper books in the library to avoid justifying the production of another copy and share your own copies of books with others to prevent them from buying new ones. It would be even better if you fully switch to digital books. They are much more convenient, a lot cheaper if you use a subscription, and don’t require paper at all. The same works for magazines, by the way.
“The government efforts are not enough,” McKenzie said. “Everyone should invest in the future of our environment.
A Unique Way to Restore Damaged Ecosystems
While exploring forest conservation and restoring damaged ecosystems, I stumbled upon a unique solution: worms.
The Critter Depot is a company that breeds composting worms for garden and environmental enthusiasts. As Jeff Neal with Critter Depot explained, “worm castings are a great way to restore damaged ecosystems. They are loaded with nitrogen and other critical nutrients that are also organic. These nutrients can help boost the growth of plant culture, which can lead to a faster ecosystem recovery.”
Gardening and composting are great ways to help our environment and using composting worms is a way to make an even greater impact.
Plant More Trees
Planting trees isn’t a new idea, but it’s just as crucial as ever. Whether you decide to plant trees for aesthetic purposes, to help the environment, or a combination of the two, planting even just one tree makes a significant impact on our ecosystem. Trees do a lot for our environment by helping to reduce climate change and water pollution, purify the air, and provide a home for numerous insects and animals.
In addition to trees, shrubs and perennials make great additions to any garden or backyard. And to make an even greater contribution to helping your environment, consider using eco-friendly products like all-natural fertilizer that don’t contain harmful chemicals.
Fight for Our Forests
One of the best ways an individual can help to conserve our forests is by becoming an advocate. Buy certified fair-trade products and buy as few harmful products as possible. Buy FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified wood and furniture. Encourage your friends, family, and community members to make more environmentally conscious decisions.
You can also encourage businesses to become more sustainable. If enough people demand change from businesses and organizations, they are far more likely to change their ways. You can also contact political leaders and ask them to consider making changes that will protect our environment.
You might be surprised to learn how much of an impact you can have as an individual. When it comes to conserving our forests and restoring our ecosystems, we must consider what kind of future we want to have – for us and future generations. The worst thing we can do is to do nothing at all.
Ronnie Collins, owner of Electro Garden Tools , I’m a professional woodworker and a passionate gardener with an MS degree in Botany. I have experience in both gardening/landscaping and carpentry, which gave me the full picture of the current environment and industry state. The truth is that woodworking businesses consume much more wood than the entire continent produces. That’s a disastrous disbalance. Fortunately, we still can do steps to restore the balance.
The households that are currently looking for new wooden furniture should focus on getting only used wooden items. If many households in at least a single region buy only used wooden furniture, it will slow down the supply chain and reduce furniture production in the region.
At the same time, we all should do something to restore the lost green spaces. Growing trees in the yards and encouraging local authorities to build more parks are the best solutions.