Named after Boreas, the Greek god of the winter wind coming in from the north, boreal forests, composed primarily of coniferous trees, cover huge swaths of land in the far north of North America, the Nordic countries, and Russia. As one author wrote, all together the boreal forest is like an emerald halo circling the globe.
The North American boreal forest serves as a bird nursery for more than 325 species r that head south every winter. It also serves as the largest source of pristine water and, according to scientists, stores twice as much carbon as tropical forests, helping to slow down the increasing buildup of carbon dioxide.
Our American portion lies in Alaska and the northern part of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and extends to the far northern regions of Michigan. Protecting the boreal is essential to not only protecting species loss and biodiversity but also keeping us from roasting in the summer sun.
Prayer for the Day
In a world most will never see, beneath the late fall sky
Stand trees now empty of the sounds of birds,
For they have made their flight to southern warmth;
Swirling winds of snow warn us of winter winds,
And the need to bundle up even before winter,
Covering the north in a deep white.
Hold us in your warmth, O God, as we enter this Advent Season.
In the name of the One who reflect your warmth,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Protecting half of the boreal forest only solves half of the problem. Such grand conservation efforts would be compromised if development were to be allowed to go unchecked in the remaining half.
Boreal Songbird Imitative
Convincing Home Depot to stop logging the boreal forest has the potential for a large impact. . . .By sourcing its wood sustainably, Home Depot could spark industry-wide change that could dramatically reduce logging in sensitive areas of the boreal forest.
Ellen Montgomery, Environment America
O Lord, who may abide in your ten? Who may dwell on your holy hill?
Those who walk blamelessly and do what is right,
And speak the truth from their heart.
Psalm 15: 1-2