SFI BLOG

Impact (Impækt: noun) – the sudden and powerful positive or negative effect something has on a situation, process, or person.In the scientific community, the effect that a research program has on society is described as the work’s positive “impact.” Where once it was considered enough to publish findings in respectable journals and move on, there is an increasing movement to assess the impact that findings have more broadly, especially considering the amount of public funds often invested.

Ah, Cherry Blossom season. Nothing signifies the arrival of spring in the nation’s capital quite like the blooming of the cherry blossom trees and the three-week-long National Cherry Blossom Festival which runs from the first day of spring on March 20 – April 14.

The forest has always felt like home. Growing up among the iconic wind-swept pines and maple sugar bushes of Georgian Bay, with summers spent exploring the centuries-old stands of Algonquin Park, forests feature heavily in many of my earliest and fondest childhood memories.

The holiday season is the perfect time to reflect, give thanks, and look forward to the New Year. I always enjoy writing the entire SFI family to highlight what we have accomplished together during the last 12 months.

SFI was delighted to recently receive a collection of postcards recognizing our work and positive impact on the environment and sustainable forests from the Postcard Underground.

At the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), we believe well‑managed forests are the answer to many of the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges.

I had the opportunity to attend the 42nd Annual National Indian Timber Symposium earlier this month. The InterTribal Timber Council coordinates the event, which is hosted by a different tribe each year.

At the end of each year, SFI takes time to give thanks, reflect on the past year, and look forward to the next year. We continue to work with a diverse network to expand our reach and commitment to future forests.

One of the best ways to make buildings better for our environment is to use as much wood as possible in construction. However, many of wood’s positive attributes in construction depend, in part, on whether the forest resource is well managed.

As I travel from tradeshows to conferences, and even chat with family and friends, and attempt to explain the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s (SFI) core mission, I’ve noticed a recurring theme.

Let’s stop talking, so we can hear how quiet it is….

Here’s a fact about wetlands that many Canadians may find surprising: according to the Geological Survey of Canada, the peat in Canada’s wetlands stores almost 60 percent of all the carbon stored in soils across the country.

You might have heard that more than 51 million people in the United States and Canada participate in birdwatching as a hobby, but you may be surprised to learn that nearly half of all private landowners provide at least one nest box (or “birdhouse”) on their property.

It seems that we live in a time of magnified environmental impacts. When I was a kid, we didn’t worry about recycling, or air pollution, or water pollution, or whether the wood in our dining table came from a sustainable source.

On April 19, 2016, so many of us were deeply saddened when we learned of the loss of our close friend and wonderful colleague, Rob Olszewski. We remember Rob for his passion for forests, his great big smile and his even bigger heart.