The United Nation’s Environment Programme’s World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated across the globe on the 5th of June 2011.  Over nearly 40 years, WED has become a key worldwide event to stimulate environmental awareness, to focus political attention and encourage community and individual action.  It is a great opportunity to come together for a neighbourhood or beach clean-up, to start a local recycling drive or organize a collective tree-planting effort.  WED is a reminder to each of us that there is a lot we can each do to live a safer, cleaner, greener life that will help to ensure a sustainable planet for our future generations.

The 2011 WED theme is “Forests: Nature at Your Service”, highlighting the vital ecosystems services that the Earth’s natural forests provide.  Forests, known as the lungs of the planet, play a vital role in mitigating climate change as they release oxygen into the atmosphere and store carbon dioxide.  Apart from providing shelter, food and water for more than half of the Earth’s other terrestrial animal species, more than 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods.  Despite all the priceless ecological, economic, social and health benefits of forests, we continue to destroy 13 million hectares of natural forest every year for short-term financial gains.

At Avondale, we are acutely aware of the value of trees on our land.  We have an ongoing programme to clear alien vegetation, and we have planted hundreds of indigenous trees to date in appropriate micro-habitats.  Visit Johnathan’s BioLOGIC^® Blog, and leave a comment to let us know how you will be celebrating WED this year.