National Forest Week July 13-19, 2020 – Get Involved, Get connected via Virtual Social Events.
National Forest 2020 – National Forest Week is an annual celebration of the National
Forest System and all it provides and has to offer. Hear in the Sierra we have 9 National forest regional head quarters and management areas. We use these forests for everything from recreational hiking and backpacking to providing a stable system for water resources in two states.
This week as we look at how we like to use our National Forest and celebrate, consider joining the community and learning more on how we can do our part in enjoying, protecting and preserving our forest resources.
When does National Forest Week take place?
National Forest Week is celebrated the second full week of July each year. This year, National Forest Week is July 13-19, 2020.
Where will National Forest Week celebrations take place?
National Forest Week is celebrated across the country. All Americans are invited to join the National Forest Foundation (NFF) in celebrating our spectacular public lands.
While the NFF and our partners would normally host in-person events and volunteer days, this year
will look very different. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have cancelled most in-person National
Forest Week events to keep our communities safe. Instead, the NFF will be hosting a series of
online events. You can find the full virtual event schedule at nationalforestweek.org. While there
may not be in-person events, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating online.
Here is a list of online events still occurring this week:
Join the NFF’s Southern California Program Manager, Dania Gutierrez, as she chats with Nature for All Program Organizer and Latino Outdoors Ambassador Araceli Hernandez on the NFF’s Instagram. They’ll chat about what makes Southern California’s National Forests so special and how local communities connect with their local forests. Dania and Araceli will also discuss how partners like the NFF can support more inclusive and safe outdoor spaces.
Virtually travel down the Puerto Rico’s El Yunque National Forest as Forest Supervisor Keenan Adams discusses the wonders of the only tropical rainforest in the National Forest System. Tune in on the NFF’s Instagram to learn more about this incredible landscape and how the forest is working with the local community to help balance nature and commerce.
Have a moment of zen during National Forest Week and tune in for a forest meditation with yoga instructor and forest lover Jess Blackmun. Tune in on the NFF’s Instagram for this virtual event.
Wrap up the work week with NFF staff chatting more about why they’re passionate about our National Forests. Tune in on the NFF’s Facebook to hear from Pacific Northwest Program Director Patrick Shannon, Southern Rockies Program Director, Rebecca Davidson, and Southern California Program Associate Brian Robey.
A popular unforgettable experience for so many of us – making s’mores! Join the NFF and our partner Endangered Species Chocolate for a fun gourmet s’mores cook along on Instagram.
To wrap up National Forest Week 2020, NFF President and CEO Mary Mitsos will chat with musican and forester Chuck Leavell on the NFF’s Instagram. A long-time recording and touring member of The Rolling Stones, Chuck is also a highly respected forester, author, and conservationist. He and his wife Rose Lane own Charlane Plantation, a multiple award-winning tree farm near Macon, Georgia.
National Forests and Grasslands provide Americans with 193 million spectacular acres of wildlands.
- More than 9,000 miles of scenic byways to drive
- Almost 150,000 miles of trails to hike
- More than 4,400 miles of wild and scenic rivers to float
- At least 5,100 campgrounds in which to pitch our tents
- And 328 natural pools to swim in
Managed by the USDA Forest Service, our National Forests and Grasslands host more than 170 million visits each year. Visitor spending pumps $13.5 billion into our economy annually, sustaining nearly 223,000 jobs in gateway communities.
These lands are the foundation of America’s outdoor recreation heritage and sustain our way of life. They provide water to millions Americans in thousands of communities, clean our air, store carbon, and provide timber, minerals, oil and gas and other resources for industry and communities.
