by Lisa Goudy
Saskatchewan forests grew another branch on Monday.
 |
Saskatchewan Party MLA and Environment Minister Dustin Duncan was at the Royal
Saskatchewan Museum to kick off National Forest Week by taking part in a
tree planting ceremony.
Photograph by: Troy Fleece, Regina Leader-Post |
Saskatchewan forests grew another branch on Monday.
To begin National Forest Week, Environment Minister Dustin Duncan planted a white birch tree on the grounds of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. The event also served as a celebration for the year 2011 being the International Year of Forests declared by the United Nations.
The event was a joint partnership between the Government of Saskatchewan and the Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan (NPSS).
"I think in working with an organization like this one today, it brings attention and awareness to the importance of our forests in this province," said Duncan in an interview after the ceremony. "I think the perception from the outsiders outside of Saskatchewan, if you drive the No. 1 highway, you wouldn't realize that half of our entire province is made up of forests."
Duncan said the northern part of the province is all forests and the ceremony serves as a reminder of the significance of forestry in Saskatchewan as part of a national celebration.
"It (National Forest Week) speaks to why we've made significant investments in the provincial forest in terms of combating some diseases and some insects like the mountain pine beetle and the spruce budworm," said Duncan. "Here in the provincial capital, it just helps to raise the awareness and the importance of all that our forest contributes to the province."
The ceremony consisted of Duncan grabbing a shovel, digging in a pile of dirt, and throwing it on the tree before adding a layer of sod. The white birch tree is Saskatchewan's provincial tree and Duncan said the choice of tree is symbolic of what the provincial forests in the province provide.
Chet Neufeld, the executive director of the NPSS, explained that the white birch tree is also economically important to Saskatchewan.
"It is fairly ubiquitous in the province and elsewhere in Canada. It's a fairly common tree and it is important," said Neufeld. "It does serve as habitat for a number of wildlife species and it is an economically important tree for the pulp and paper industry."
The NPSS is a non-profit organization committed to conservation of habitats and plants in the province since 1995. This ceremony was the last in a series of events this year in Saskatchewan to commemorate the International Year of Forests. Past events have ranged from a nature tour in Prince Albert National Park to the circulation of local shrub and tree sprouts to Saskatchewan residents. Neufeld said trees are important to clean the air and to provide natural habitats and the NPSS aims to educate people on trees and forests.
"That's our ultimate goal, to just spread the word, educate everybody we can about how important these things are and how lucky we are to live in a province that still has a really intact natural resource like this," said Neufeld. "We want to just instill in the people how important forests and trees are to our everyday lives no matter where we are."
The event was a joint partnership between the Government of Saskatchewan and the Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan (NPSS).
"I think in working with an organization like this one today, it brings attention and awareness to the importance of our forests in this province," said Duncan in an interview after the ceremony. "I think the perception from the outsiders outside of Saskatchewan, if you drive the No. 1 highway, you wouldn't realize that half of our entire province is made up of forests."
Duncan said the northern part of the province is all forests and the ceremony serves as a reminder of the significance of forestry in Saskatchewan as part of a national celebration.
"It (National Forest Week) speaks to why we've made significant investments in the provincial forest in terms of combating some diseases and some insects like the mountain pine beetle and the spruce budworm," said Duncan. "Here in the provincial capital, it just helps to raise the awareness and the importance of all that our forest contributes to the province."
The ceremony consisted of Duncan grabbing a shovel, digging in a pile of dirt, and throwing it on the tree before adding a layer of sod. The white birch tree is Saskatchewan's provincial tree and Duncan said the choice of tree is symbolic of what the provincial forests in the province provide.
Chet Neufeld, the executive director of the NPSS, explained that the white birch tree is also economically important to Saskatchewan.
"It is fairly ubiquitous in the province and elsewhere in Canada. It's a fairly common tree and it is important," said Neufeld. "It does serve as habitat for a number of wildlife species and it is an economically important tree for the pulp and paper industry."
The NPSS is a non-profit organization committed to conservation of habitats and plants in the province since 1995. This ceremony was the last in a series of events this year in Saskatchewan to commemorate the International Year of Forests. Past events have ranged from a nature tour in Prince Albert National Park to the circulation of local shrub and tree sprouts to Saskatchewan residents. Neufeld said trees are important to clean the air and to provide natural habitats and the NPSS aims to educate people on trees and forests.
"That's our ultimate goal, to just spread the word, educate everybody we can about how important these things are and how lucky we are to live in a province that still has a really intact natural resource like this," said Neufeld. "We want to just instill in the people how important forests and trees are to our everyday lives no matter where we are."
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