One day, our group went to go plant new saplings in a previously clear-cut field on someone’s family property. Our group headed out into the hot sun with around 200 spruce tree saplings, and with a bit of instruction, we began to plant. Many of us had never planted trees before, or used the special planting tool called the Pottiputki. It was an exciting new challenge that we took on with determination and strong will. While this experience may seem very simple and one-dimensional, under the surface there was so much more.
Having previously seen clear-cutting in action, seeing the landscape post-cut was striking. The barren earth was devoid of any living plants, and replanting was definitely a powerful activity. Clear-cutting is a very controversial topic. Clear-cutting results in a loss of biodiversity, increased soil erosion, worsened air quality, and increased deforestation. However, clear-cutting is important for providing jobs and boosting the economy, and providing enough wood and paper products for the fast-growing global population. It’s a difficult task to accomplish responsibly, but one way we can reduce impacts of deforestation is by replanting what we take. The forest won’t ever return to what it once was, but we can at least try to put a metaphoric band-aid on the wound.
In the future, we hope to apply the knowledge that we have learned about biodiversity and clear-cutting by looking closely at the products that we buy and the companies that we support based on their environmental impact and values. We also hope to continue to work with trees and forests, and to do what we can to help support biodiversity.
Comments