Campaign News

IYOF Photojournalist Encounters, Captures Wildfires, Pine Beetles, Tornado Damage, and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

WASHINGTON (July 22, 2011) - Capturing the “elusive soul of the American forest" will be the mission of Josh Birnbaum, the International Year of Forests Photography Fellow, for the next 10 weeks. Birnbaum was awarded the Photography Fellowship as part of the International Year of Forests celebration, a worldwide initiative established by the United Nations. The fellowship is co-sponsored by the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) and the National Network of Forest Practitioners (NNFP) with support from the NASF Foundation.

WASHINGTON (May 12, 2011) – Americans nationwide are invited and encouraged to participate in National Walk in the Woods Day, an event in celebration of the International Year of Forests. 

To participate in this event, simply take a walk in the woods. Whether in a state forest, national park, or a wooded area close to home, families, friends, neighbors, forestry experts and city-dwellers alike will take time to enjoy the woods and reflect on how trees and forests make our lives better. 

In concert with its annual Earth Day Festival, Pinecrest, Florida Mayor Cindy Lerner signed a proclamation designating April 10, 2011 as the official Celebrate Forests Day in the Village of Pinecrest in accordance with the International Year of Forests.

The proclamation states:

WHEREAS, trees and forests provide clean air; and

WASHINGTON (March 29, 2011) – Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, key members of Congress including Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), and a consortium of top officials from America’s leading forest and conservation organizations, will join together to highlight the importance of America’s forests during a special celebration and reception here in Washington, D.C.

Washington, February 2, 2011 -- The U. S. Forest Service, today with partner organizations, the National Association of State Foresters and the American Forest Foundation, announce the U.S. celebration of the official United Nations International Year of Forests 2011. The theme of the U.S. campaign is “Celebrate Forests. Celebrate Life.”