SFI BLOG

Urban forests that deliver on community priorities start with a clear direction. When we set goals and track impact, we sustain the momentum from planting to growing quality forests. As diverse actors like communities, governments, and funders take an interest in urban forests, at SFI, we care about convening these actors to explore the long-term and responsible management of trees, in places where people need them the most.

Et voilà, c'est fini ! The 2026 SFI Annual Conference in Montréal, Quebec, brought together over 400 participants for a week of learning, celebrations, and fun.

As the world marks International Day of Forests (March 21), we celebrate forested ecosystems as critical places that sustain life and maintain planetary health. It's also an opportunity to recognize the forests where most people live. Today, nearly 70 percent of the global population lives in urban areas, making community forests essential spaces where the benefits of trees are felt most directly, and where they matter deeply to everyday life.

For the last two summers, the Yakama Nation has hosted a Youth Forestry Camp on the Yakama Reservation. As a financial supporter of the event, SFI was graciously invited to join the two-day gathering, and I was honored to attend on behalf of the team.

As the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Communications Coordinator, I spend most of my time writing about the important work SFI is doing across our work in standards, conservation, community, and education to advance sustainability through forest-focused collaboration. I have become very passionate about connecting people to the natural world around them, even going so far as earning a master’s in applied entomology in 2023 to become a stronger science communicator.

Truth and Reconciliation Week leads up to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day on September 30, a day dedicated to recognizing the dark history of residential schools and its survivors. This week is a time to reflect on the history and ongoing impacts of the residential school system, the assimilatory actions and mistreatment, and the intergenerational impacts. This week was officially recognized in 2021 due to the hard work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, who devoted their time to speak to survivors, inform and educate Canadians on the history of residential schools, and create a report with 94 Calls to Action to advance reconciliation (Action 80 being the creation of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation).

Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Implementation Committees (SICs) are at the forefront of local support for SFI-certified organizations implementing sustainable forestry standards. As representatives of organizations certified to SFI standards, SIC members work with state agencies, landowners, universities, and other partners to help connect forest managers with tools, training, and technical assistance to navigate fire resilience across the United States and Canada.

June marks National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada. It’s a time to celebrate First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, and SFI is proud to highlight some amazing Indigenous certified organizations within our network.

That’s a wrap! The 2025 SFI Annual Conference in Minneapolis brought together over 340 participants for a week full of learning and celebration. The event marked SFI’s 30-year anniversary and the start of SFI’s 2025–2030 Strategic Direction, bringing together the SFI network to talk about milestones and shared goals for the future.

The building and construction sector is responsible for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, yet many architecture students graduate without a full understanding of the environmental impacts of construction materials. Because of this, architecture graduates enter the workforce and may find themselves gravitating toward certain construction materials without considering their environmental implications. While the ecological impact of construction materials is not always immediately apparent, architects must be aware, informed, and able to make responsible choices in building design.

I’ve always been passionate about sustainability and currently serve as Quality Assurance and Sustainability Supervisor at a consumer products company. In this role, I manage the SFI Chain of Custody Certification for our sites, ensuring that our processes align with SFI’s standards. When my supervisor told me about the SFI Youth Delegate program, I was thrilled for the opportunity to further lean into my passion for sustainability, learn more about what efforts are being made to improve forestry, and connect with leaders across these fields.

Wildfires are lasting longer and becoming more intense, threatening communities year-round. Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, insect infestations, and extreme weather events are stressing forests across Canada and the U.S., making them more vulnerable to larger, faster-moving fires that threaten ecosystems and communities alike.

This year’s International Day of Forests is the perfect moment to recognize that sustainable forestry isn’t just a North American priority—it’s a global one. Forests provide clean air and water, store carbon, support biodiversity, and sustain economies. At the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), we believe that sustainable forests are critical to our collective future. In a time of growing uncertainty, it’s more important than ever to come together, support one another, and collaborate on shared priorities—and this spirit of partnership is at the heart of what we do at SFI.

Historic investments are driving large-scale tree plantings across Canada and the United States. As urban canopies grow, the question remains: how do we ensure long-term tree care and forest management, especially in a changing climate?

There has been a great deal of dialogue recently about carbon and climate, leaving forest landowners asking themselves: “What does this mean for me? How do I make decisions with this information? How would I balance those management decisions with other goals, especially considering my trees and species type?”