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National Forest Week 2014 Forestry Awareness Continues to Grow on the North Island!

North Island forest professionals recognize the importance of increasing public awareness of our forests as a valuable and renewable resource, and believe that such advocacy helps foster a positive attitude about forestry in BC.

The strength of this conviction is especially evident during National Forest Week, when North Islanders are given a truly celebratory showing of how forests are ‘rooted in our communities.’

As part of this year’s events, over 2,500 North Islanders were given an opportunity to interact with forest professionals, and learn more about their local forests.

And as with past years, the key factor behind this successful community outreach was collaboration.

Over 40 forest practitioners from government, industry and consulting volunteered their time, and with the generous support of the North Island – Central Coast Resource District, BC Timber Sales, BC Parks, Conservation Officer Service, Western Forest Products, Strategic Natural Resource Consultants, Port McNeill Logger's Sports Society, Gord Glover Consulting, Hecate Integrated Resources, National Forest Week BC Coalition, Association of BC Forest Professionals, Quatse Salmon Stewardship Centre, Vancouver Island University and Gate House Community Association, put together a variety of events that were only made possible by the support and effort of all. The next few pages summarize these events.

A preschooler hugs Smokey Bear after telling him that her favourite thing to

do in the forest is pick berries.

North Island girls show the boys how to get the job done! Future forestry recruits?

Definitely!

Dressed for safety, a promising future forestry worker learns the ropes.

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National Forest Week Events on the North Island

Interactive Forestry Booth

As an introduction to National Forest Week, a large interactive forestry booth was set up at the Mount Waddington Regional Fall Fair in Port Hardy. The Fall Fair, held over 2 days, was attended by more than 1,500 people from the communities of Port Hardy, Port McNeill, Port Alice, Sointula, Alert Bay, Winter Harbour, Quatsino and Woss.

Forest professionals were on hand at all times to answer questions and provide information. A large wall of the booth was dedicated to promoting National Forest Week activities, and entry forms for the ABCFP’s Art Contest were given out.

‘Predator Awareness’ Presentations to Elementary Schools

Forest professionals, accompanied by Smokey Bear, visited 22 classes (First Nation and public), across the North Island, and presented ‘Predator Awareness’ information to over 400 students. With public schools opening just a few days before National Forest Week, special arrangements were made to include the bulk of these classes. North Island students love these annual visits, and can readily identify that it’s National Forest Week when they see Smokey Bear.

Presentations to each class were 20 minutes in length, and covered biology & behaviour of forest predators, including cougars, black bears, grizzly bears and wolves; as well as how to act in the case of an encounter. Students were given handouts, including fact sheets on what to do during a predator encounter, a National Forest Week pencil & tree sticker, and an entry form for the ABCFP’s Art Contest.

Young North Islanders consider their

career paths amid a forestry setting.

With information on forest fires, insects, wildlife, climate change, recreation sites and

LiDAR, visitors gain a better understanding of

local forest management.

K'ak'ot'lats'i School students learn that predators play a valuable role within forest ecosystems, but that awareness is

important so that we can all safely enjoy our forests.

Megan Hanacek captures the attention of Eagle View Elementary School students with her description of

wolf biology and behaviour.

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Story Time and Smokey Visits for Preschools & Daycares

Forest professionals, accompanied by Smokey Bear, visited 5 preschool classes and 2 daycares across the North Island. The popular A Mountain Alphabet was read aloud, giving the youngsters an opportunity to reflect on their own forest experiences.

After the story, each child was given a turn to share their favourite thing about the forest, which was greeted by a showing of appreciation from Smokey.

Crayons & colouring sheets, as well as National Forest Week stickers and ABCFP Art Contest forms, were given out by Smokey Bear, along with lots of hugs. As usual, Smokey Bear stole the show, with adoring fans lining up to wave goodbye and enthusiastically thank Smokey for his visit.

Predator Awareness Community Open House

A community open house on ‘Predator Awareness’ was held at the Community Gate House Theatre in Port McNeill. Over 70 people, including members of the local Beavers, Cub Scouts and Scouts groups, attended the 1-hour interactive presentation on the biology and behaviour of North Island predators. Afterwards, guests were able to examine the furs and skulls up close, and interact directly with the presenters. Fact sheets on what to do during an encounter, National Forest Week pencils & tree stickers, as well as entry forms for the ABCFP’s Art Contest were given out.

A young preschooler decides that Smokey Bear is actually a nice bear and tells him that

her dad works in the forest too.

Mike DesRochers, Megan Hanacek and Janel McNish (l-r) welcome guests to the open house.

A daycare toddler runs to

greet Smokey Bear at the door.

K'ak'ot'lats'i preschool and kindergarten students say goodbye to Smokey.

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Kids Logger’s Sports Day

With uncertainty around public schools being open in time for National Forest Week, North Island forest professionals decided to postpone their usual Grade 5 forest tours until the spring, and introduced instead a new community event – Kids Logger’s Sports Day.

The local newspaper, radio station, posters, social media, and school newsletters were used to promote the event, and volunteers were excited to see over 150 kids, along with their families, come out for the day.

Eager to swing the axe, a local youth tests his skills at

the dot split station.

With his face painted, a young boy scares away the competition.

Smokey Bear greets visitors at the entrance, then much to the delight of the other

contenders, competes in many of the activities. The hardworking chokerman looks

back to see if his choker is set properly.

Serious competition as part of the wheelbarrow races…on your mark, get set, go!

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To start, for the non-competitive round, all participants were given a punch card, and after completing five of the activities were able to turn their punch card in for a National Forest Week t-shirt with the slogan ‘FORESTS ARE ROOTED IN OUR COMMUNITIES.’

Punch card activities included: choker races, nail drive, dot split, wheelbarrow races, axe throw (older kids only), cookie toss, water can accuracy, colouring station (with ABCFP Art Contest forms), face-painting, and a predator awareness booth.

Following the non-competitive round, participants were treated to a hotdog, bag of chips and drink.

Then for the competitive round, registered participants were divided into three age groups, and competed in choker races, wheelbarrow races and water can accuracy. As well, all of the kids were invited to participate in a group tug O-war and egg toss, with the winner of the egg toss receiving a logger’s breakfast basket of bacon, eggs and muffins.

At the end of the day, winners of the competitive events were awarded a coveted logger’s sports chair, amid cheers from the audience.

Quatse Salmon Stewardship Centre - Rivers Day Celebration

To help promote National Forest Week on the North Island, a partnership was formed with the Quatse Salmon Stewardship Centre. The Quatse Salmon Stewardship Centre supported National Forest Week by way of advertising through posters and social media, and giving out promo items through the week, including National Forest Week pencils and stickers. In return, North Island forest professionals supported the Centre’s Rivers Day Celebration by way of having forest professionals on-site to speak to fish-forestry interactions, and host a predator awareness booth.

A young competitor poses proudly with his 1st place prize in

the wheelbarrow race.

Roger Briscoe entertains participants with his chainsaw carvings…which also serve

as prizes for the competitions.