This year's theme for WED is Forests:  Nature at Your Service.  As an organization that depends on wood as a natural resource, Vermont Woods Studios Furniture places forest conservation at the heart of our mission so we are pleased to support and celebrate this day.

Sometimes when I talk about forest conservation, I can see peoples' eyes glazing over, but when I revisit Forest Facts like these offered up on the WED website I remember the primary reason why we started Vermont Woods Studios in the first place:

• Forests cover 1/3 of the earth’s land mass, performing vital functions and services around the world which make our planet alive with possibilities
• 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods
• Forests play a key role in our battle against climate change, releasing oxygen into the atmosphere while storing carbon dioxide
• Forests feed our rivers and are essential to supplying the water for nearly 50% of our largest cities
• Forests create and maintain soil fertility; they help to regulate the often devastating impact of storms, floods and fires
• Forests are the most biologically diverse ecosystems on land, and are home to more than half of the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects
• Forests also provide shelter, jobs, security and cultural relevance for forest-dependent populations
• Forests are the green lungs of the earth, vital to the survival of people everywhere — all seven billion of us.

Today we honor many of our friends and colleagues at the organizations worldwide that work to protect the forests and the people and animals who call them home, including ForestEthics, World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy and Ecological Internet.  I'm heading our for a walk in the woods this afternoon.  I hope you'll have a chance to do the same very soon because when you do, I think maybe you'll feel the same way I do about Forest Conservation.

The post Happy World Environment Day from Vermont Forest Lovers! appeared first on Vermont Woods Studios.