Celebrate National Forest Week
How to participate in National Forest Week
Explore our contests, activities and more below to help you celebrate NFW in your neck of the woods!
2023 THEME
National Forest Week
September 17-23, 2023
Canada’s Forests: Supporting Biological Diversity
Biological diversity in our forests is critical to our survival. From fresh air and water, food security, medicines, shelter to innovative products and technologies, forests and trees provide many cultural, societal, environmental, and economical benefits. In a changing climate, forest practitioners, professionals, researchers, and scientists are working to ensure forests are sustainably managed for generations to come.
Learn how Canada’s forests maintain biological diversity by following #NationalForestWeek / #SemaineNationaleDeLArbreEtDesForêts !
WAYS TO PARTICIPATE
From September 17-23, 2023, we’re inviting Canadians to learn more about the forest sector and its significance to Canada’s culture, history, and future, while also supporting a greater recognition of forests as a valuable, renewable and green resource.
Please stay tuned for the activities and contests below to be updated for 2023!
Participate Online
- Like and share/re-tweet posts created by the CIF-IFC or posts using the hashtag #NationalForestWeek or #SemaineNationaleDeLArbreEtDesForêts
- Share National Forest Week digital creatives via social media using the hashtag #NationalForestWeek or #SemaineNationaleDeLArbreEtDesForêts
- Create your own content using the daily sub-themes from the Social Media Content Schedule and share them using the hashtag #NationalForestWeek or #SemaineNationaleDeLArbreEtDesForêts
Creative Downloads
Promotional poster
Bilingual
- Large size (24″ x 31.5″) – coming soon
- Medium size (11″ x 17″) – coming soon
Promotional postcard
- English (5″ x 7″) – coming soon
- French (5″ x 7″) – coming soon
Social media shareables
English
- Social media graphics – coming soon
French
- Social media graphics – coming soon
Social media banners
Bilingual – coming soon
- Facebook banner
- Twitter banner
- LinkedIn banner
Social Media Content Schedule - COMING SOON for 2023!
Sunday, September 18, 2022
Daily Sub-Theme:
Forests and a changing climate
How climate change is affecting Canada’s forests.
Proudly sponsored by: Natural Resources Canada
Monday, September 19, 2022
Daily Sub-Theme:
Capturing greenhouse gases
How forests reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as storing and trapping carbon.
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#NationalForestWeek + #MyForestMonday – Show us how you are spending time in a forest near you!
Tuesday, September 20, 2022
Daily Sub-Theme:
Innovative technologies and research
How Canada’s forests provide nature-based solutions to combat climate change.
Proudly sponsored by: Forest Products Association of Canada
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#NationalForestWeek + #TreeviaTuesday – Participate in the Special Edition of Treevia Tuesday and test your forest knowledge for a chance to win a prize!
Wednesday, September 21, 2022
Daily Sub-Theme:
Forests and biodiversity
Biodiversity is critical in sustaining Canada’s various ecosystems including forested areas.
Proudly sponsored by Forest Stewardship Council Canada
- FSC Week – Choose Forests, Choose FSC
- Making a Difference
- Responsible Forestry Standard for Canada
- Give your Outdoor Adventures a Forest-Friendly Boost
- Conserving Habitat for Caribou
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#NationalForestWeek + #WildlifeWednesday – Forests are full of wildlife! Let’s see your favourite forest friends.
Thursday, September 22, 2022
Daily Sub-Theme:
Forest champions in our communities
Forest champions across the country are continuously working to ensure that our forest sector is sustainable, forward-thinking, inclusive, and diverse.
Proudly sponsored by: Free to Grow in Forestry
- [LISTEN] A podcast working to move #ForestryForward
- Taking Action on Gender Equity in Canada’s Forest Sector
- Gender Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace – A Plan to Eliminate Resistance
- 10 Principles for Gender Equity
- Evidence on Diversity in Canada’s Forest Sector
- Indigenous Women’s Leadership in the Forest Sector Report
- Preliminary Report: Interviews with Women in Forestry
- Getting into Team – Leveraging Power & Privilege (Allies Toolkit)
- [WATCH] Free to Grow in Forestry
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#NationalForestWeek + #TreeatThursday – You’re in for a treeat! Participate in our giveaway contest for your chance to win free NFW and CIF merch (details coming soon)!
Friday, September 23, 2022
Daily Sub-Theme:
Sustainably managed forests
Forests are a valuable and renewable resource and Canada is a world leader in sustainable forest management.
Proudly sponsored by County of Simcoe
- Find Your Forest – Discover the Simcoe County Forest during National Forest Week
- [WATCH] Celebrating Our Roots: 100 Years of Simcoe County Forest (Forest Capital of Canada 2022)
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#NationalForestWeek + #ForestFactFriday – Follow along for some neat forest facts that may surprise you!
Saturday, September 24, 2022
Daily Sub-Theme:
Learning from trees
Connecting the general public, teachers and educators with resources and tools to learn about forests/trees and the significance of Canada’s forest heritage.
Proudly sponsored by Sustainable Forestry Initiative / Project Learning Tree Canada
- Trillions of Trees (featuring three activities for educators of students in grades 3-5)
- Special webinar on September 20, 2022, from 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm ET
- [WATCH] League for Green Leaders
- Free online training for teachers
- Lesson plans
- Activities for families
- Educational resources to connect the children or young people in your life to the outdoors
- Educational Material
- Forest Literacy Framework
- Free Worksheets
- Green Jobs Quiz
- Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) certification – Sustainable Resource Management
Additional Ways to Participate
- Take a walk in woods nearby and get to know your forest
- Arrange a tree planting: Tree Canada
- Care for a newly planted or neglected tree, and study its species
- Identify all the things at home or school that are made of wood
- Learn about organizations that demonstrate sustainable forest management
- Tour a forest sector industry or processing site
- Learn about the prevention of forest fires
- Contact a provincial forestry association for teaching materials.
- Visit the NFW-BC Coalition website for information about NFW in the west!
- Lead a National Forest Week event
- Paticipate in our Annual National Forest Week Photo Contest, Youth Drawing Contest, or Treevia Tuesday
- Download our National Forest Week resources and activity sheets
Photo Contest
To celebrate National Forest Week, the Canadian Institute of Forestry is inviting you to participate in our 3rd annual national photo contest! The contest will run through the duration of National Forest Week (September 18-24, 2022).
Rules
- Contest begins on September 18, 2022 at 12:00 am and ends on September 24, 20212 at 11:59 pm
- Contest is open to residents of Canada, including both CIF-IFC members and non-members
- Purpose of contest is to celebrate National Forest Week (September 18-24, 2022)
- Photos submitted must showcase forests/trees in Canada
- Contest winner will receive a prize and a special feature of their photograph in various CIF-IFC digital communication outlets
How to enter
- Entries are to be a digital photograph (JPEG or PNG) and submitted electronically by email to nfw-snaf@cif-ifc.org
- Entries must be submitted and received by September 24, 2022 at 11:59 pm
- Submissions must include:
- Digital photograph (JPEG or PNG) showcasing forests/trees in Canada
- Photographer name and contact information
- Short caption describing the photograph, including the location of where it was captured
Youth Drawing Contest
Get your markers and pens ready! We are inviting you to participate in our 2nd annual Canada-wide youth drawing contest for NFW!
This makes for a great summer project or classroom activity! Entries must be received by October 15, 2022.
How to participate
- Download the drawing contest form here
- Show us how you spend time in the forest by completing your artwork in the dedicated space provided on page 2 of the form
- Fill out your contact information on page 3 of the form
- Submit entries via email to nfw-snaf@cif-ifc.org
- Entries must be received by October 15, 2022
Who can participate
- Youth from the ages of 4-12
Contest winners
- One participant in each age category (4-6, 7-9, and 10-12) from each province/territory will be chosen as a winner
- Winners will be announced in November 2022 and will receive a prize pack and nature activity book!
Treevia Tuesday
Mark your calendars! The 3rd annual National Forest Week Special Edition of Treevia Tuesday will take place on September 20, 2022.
Join in on the fun and test your forest knowledge! The top 3 players will receive a prize.
How to participate
When: Tuesday, September 20, 2022
Where: crowd.live/JHMYV
- Go to the link above on September 20th
- Enter your name and email
- Select “Go!” when ready
- Participate in the 20 question quiz before 11:59 pm ET
Contest winners
Congratulations to the top 3 players from 2021!
- Julia Trappe – 19/20 answers correct
- Nicolas Gabruch – 17/20 answers correct
- Carson Broadbent – 15/20 answers correct
Poetry Contest
Get creative and express your imagination! In celebration of National Forest Week, we are inviting youth to participate in a Canada-wide poetry contest!
How to participate
- Write a poem (50-200 words) in the dedicated space on the form here
- The poem should be unique, creative, free of spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors
- Fill out page 3 with your contact information
- Submit entries via email to nfw-snaf@cif-ifc.org
- Entries must be received by October 15, 2022
Who can participate
- Youth in Grades 9, 10, 11 and 12
Contest winners
- One participant in each Grade category (Grades 9 & 10, and 11 & 12) from each province/territory will be selected as a winner
- Winners will be announced in November 2022 and will receive a swag box and nature activity book!
Educational Resources & Activity Sheets
National Forest Week is a perfect time to learn more about one of Canada’s most valuable resources!
Check out our Forest Education page for more free resources including inforgraphics, teaching kits, factsheets and more covering a variety of different topics.
"Behind the Design" for the NFW 2022 Promotional Material
The 2022 promotional materials feature an illustrative style that showcases two cohesive visuals – the imagery in the background conveys the impacts of climate change (extreme weather events, wildfires, insect outbreaks, and pollution), while the imagery within the aspen leaf (a species found across Canada) highlights how Canada’s forests, from local communities to vast woodlands, provide nature-based solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation. Within the aspen leaf, two youth are planting a seedling, near a healthy stream brimming with wildlife. Behind them, a logging truck transports sustainable lumber products, and in the background a vibrant urban forest/cityscape can be seen. The trees within the aspen leaf are meant to depict trapping and storing greenhouse gases from the smokestacks (atmosphere) in the background.
Declaring National Forest Week
Building off the success of a pilot project launched in 2020 in collaboration with Resource Works (which encouraged forest communities in BC to formally declare NFW in their municipalities), the CIF-IFC engages with communities in provinces and territories across Canada to help bring awareness to NFW. This outreach includes ways to participate in NFW as well as encouraging towns, municipalities and provinces to declare NFW through a proclamation, lighting of a town/municipal/provincial building, or both!
Participating communities/regions for 2022
British Columbia
- Burnaby, BC
- Campbell River, BC
- Colwood, BC
- Esquimalt, BC
- Nanaimo, BC
- Prince George, BC
- Squamish, BC
- Williams Lake, BC
- Vancouver,
- Victoria, BC
Alberta
- Calgary, AB
- Edmonton, AB
- Grande Prairie, AB
- Leduc, AB
- Lethbridge, AB
- Medicine Hat, AB
- Red Deer, AB
- Stony Plain, AB
Saskatchewan
- Government of Saskatchewan, Ministry of Energy and Resources and Ministry of Environment
- Prince Albert, SK
- Regina, SK
Ontario
- Almer, ON
- Aurora, ON
- Barrie, ON
- Bancroft, ON
- Belleville, ON
- Bradford West Gwillimbury, ON
- Brampton, ON
- Collingwood, ON
- Elliot Lake, ON
- Huntsville, ON
- London, ON
- Markham, ON
- Newmarket, ON
- North Bay, ON
- Oakville, ON
- Orangeville, ON
- Orillia, ON
- Ottawa, ON
- Parry Sound, ON
- Pelham, ON
- Thunder Bay, ON
- Toronto, ON
- Vaughan, ON
- Whitby, ON
Québec
- Val d’Or, QC
New Brunswick
- Government of New Brunswick, Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy Development
- Fredericton, NB
- Sait John, NB
Prince Edward Island
- Stratford, PEI
Newfoundland and Labrador
- Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Ministry of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
- Newfoundland and Labrador – Government House
- Conception Bay South, NL
- Paradise, NL
- St. John’s, NL
Northwest Territories
- Government of Northwest Territories, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources
Yukon
- Watson Lake, YK
Show us how you will be celebrating 103 years of National Forest Week!
Use the hashtag #NationalForestWeek or #SemaineNationaleDeLArbreEtDesForêts and tag us at:
Twitter/Instagram: @CIF_IFC
Facebook: @CIF.IFC
LinkedIn: @Canadian Institute of Forestry
Thank you to our 2023 National Forest Week sponsors!
