23 November: World Native Forest Day

Native forests are crucial for life on Earth; they have a unique ecological, economic and social value. They fulfill multiple functions, such as soil and watershed protection, preventing desertification and erosion, and allowing water retention, temperature regulation, soil stabilization and climate change mitigation.

World Native Forest Day, celebrated on November 23 each year, aims at promoting the preservation and care of native tree species that grow naturally in specific regions of the world. In Latin America, the commemoration has special relevance, given the abundance of forests and the significant presence of indigenous communities and rural populations that depend heavily on these resources or maintain a close connection with them.

Some unique native forests in Latin America are the araucaria forests of Chile, the Argentinean ceibo, and the national quina of Peru, which can also be found in Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela, among others. 

The greatest threat to populations that depend on native forests is the continually growing problem of deforestation, which endangers native forests, which in addition to providing ecosystem services are home to special ecosystems of flora and fauna and are vulnerable to fires with the introduction of exogenous species.

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