| A unique ecoregion of bogs, fens, marshes, shallow lakes, rivers and wetlands, the boreal forest extends in Canada west beyond the Yukon and east to Newfoundland. It borders the tundra to the north and touches the Great Lakes to the south. This vast, pristine wilderness is home to many coniferous and deciduous tree species from Jack pine to poplar. It is home to over 200 bird species as well as land mammals such as caribou, lynx, black bear, moose, coyote, timber wolf and wood bison. The forest is increasingly threatened by a range of resource extraction and other activities. Listed below are many key organizations working for the conservation of the forest. Also included is a list of informative books on the subject.
ORGANIZATIONS
The Boreal Forest Network
This North American arm of the international Taiga Rescue Network is an organization of environmentalists, indigenous peoples and scientists concerned with the protection and sustainable use of the boreal forest.
www.borealnet.org
The Boreal Songbird Initiative (BSI)
A nonprofit organization dedicated to outreach and education about the importance of the boreal forest region to North America’s birds, the BSI is part of the Boreal Songbird Network — a network of U.S. organizations including Audubon, American Bird Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, the National Wildlife Federation, Defenders of Wildlife and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
www.borealbirds.org
Canadian Boreal Initiative
The Canadian Boreal Initiative works with a wide range of conservation organizations, First Nations, industry and other interested parties to link science, policy and conservation activities in Canada's boreal forest.
www.borealcanada.ca
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS)
This conservation group is calling for an interconnected network of protected areas throughout the boreal as well as sustainable, ecosystem-based management in forestry and other resource industries.
www.cpaws.org/boreal/
ForestEthics
An environmental organization that redirects markets toward ecologically sound alternatives to protect all endangered forests, Forest Ethics first took form as the Clayoquot Rainforest Coalition (CRC) in 1994.
www.forestethics.org
BOOKS
At the Cutting Edge: The Crisis in Canada's Forests
Elizabeth May, 1998
Compiles results from a thorough research project on Canada’s forests using government and industry sources and numbers to show that forestry in Canada including that within its boreal ecoregion is currently unsustainable.
Canada’s Boreal Forest
J. David Henry, 2002
The author challenges the perception of the boreal forest as an economic wasteland by explaining how economically and ecologically valuable it is.
The Great Northern Kingdom: Life in the Boreal Forest
Wayne Lynch, 2001
In the entertaining, informative prose, noted science writer, naturalist and wildlife photographer Wayne Lynch offers detailed information about the flora and fauna, environmental issues and recent scientific discoveries in a fascinating and accessible book.
Life in the Boreal Forest
Wayne Lynch, 2006
In this book Lynch examines the animals and plants of this mighty forest as the seasons unfold.
Rendezvous with the Wild: The Boreal Forest
James Raffan, 2004
The insight of paddlers, philosophers, artists, firefighters, conservationists, forest industry workers, playwrights and scientists is presented with art, photography, essays, stories, anecdotes, songs, poems, journal entries and memoirs to entertain, inform and persuade readers that this vital wilderness needs our attention and protection now.
Vanishing Halo: Saving the Boreal Forest
Daniel Gawthrop, 1999
In this lucid and vivid text, author Daniel Gawthrop describes what the boreal forest is, why it is so important and why so many people know so little about it. |
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