Boost the Boreal Forest

The Boreal forest region covers slightly more than half of our country and spreads across nearly every province and territory. It is the largest intact forest left on Earth and contains more freshwater wetlands than almost anywhere on our planet. Not surprisingly, it is home to a vast array of birds and other wildlife species. Check out these statistics:

• Every spring, nearly three billion warblers, thrushes, flycatchers, hawks, sparrows, and other birds migrate to Canada's Boreal forest to nest.
• Every autumn, about five billion adult birds and their young migrate from this forest to their winter homes.
• About 60 percent of all Canadian landbirds and nearly 30 percent of all landbirds in North America breed in the Boreal region.
• About 200 landbird species breed in our Boreal forest; 14 of these species live only there and do not migrate.

The bad news is that many Boreal birds are in trouble. Several migratory species that depend on Canada's Boreal forest for nesting are declining. These include the yellow-bellied sapsucker, the whitethroated sparrow, the Boreal chickadee, Swainson’s thrush, and many others. It's not clear why this is happening, but increasing threats from industrial development play a big part. According to Global Forest Watch, over one million hectares of Canadian forest are cut each year. In Ontario alone, up to 85,000 bird nests are destroyed annually by logging operations. Mining, oil and gas exploration, hydro power development, and agriculture also damage the Boreal forest.

The good news is that Canada’s Boreal forest still contains some of the world's last significant wilderness areas. One way students can help us learn to live in balance with its bounty of biodiversity is to educate others about the amazing Boreal forest.