Primary ‘old growth’ forests are unique and irreplaceable. As well as sustaining local communities, they protect over two thirds of the planet’s land and freshwater species, including countless endangered species. They are natural quarantine areas, preventing the spread of zoonotic diseases like COVID19. And they store vast amounts of carbon from the atmosphere, half of which is locked up in the massive old trees which tower over the forest canopy. But how do you get that message across to governments, policymakers and corporations? And the message that not all forests are the same?
We were asked by two campaigning NGOs IntAct and Wild Heritage, to create videos that get across these important messages. Firstly how much forest remains - we are currently losing a hectare of these forests every two seconds - and how much has been lost to degraded, regrowth and plantation forest.
Secondly, the destructiveness of the practice of ‘sustainable forestry’ in old growth forests, particularly in the tropics. This popular way of ‘preserving’ these forests is to only take out the big old trees as these are the most valuable. But this practice can only work when a few trees are removed and replacements are given at least 100 years to regrow, something that rarely happens in practice.
So please watch the videos, pass the links to friends, family and colleagues. You might like to think about a more sustainable alternative when you are next looking to replace your kitchen worktop with a hardwood like Iroko.