For International Day of Forests today, we’re looking at a baobab grove in Senegal. The indigenous cultures of sub-Saharan Africa, where baobabs grow wild, have long relied on the trees for a variety of uses. The fruit, seeds, and leaves are all edible, and in Tanzania, the wood pulp is a fermentation ingredient in local beers. Forests of all kinds provide many natural resources that humans use, and sometimes overuse. This year’s theme for International Day of Forests is ‘forests and education’; it’s an effort to get us all thinking about the more abstract benefits of healthy forests. A dense forest can clean both the air and water by pulling carbon compounds and other pollutants out of the ecosystem, and forests greatly reduce erosion.
The power of the forest
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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International Polar Bear Day
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Anybody out there?
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Racing toward history
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White trilliums blooming in Ontario, Canada
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National Park Week: Olympic National Park, Washington
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The wild heart of Tasmania
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Wild garlic in bloom at Hainich National Park, Germany
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Wake up, it s Darwin Day
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The birthplace of Cinco de Mayo
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Embracing the cold
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Rosa Parks Day
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A ‘circus of chaos’ for Stravinsky
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World Reef Day
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Sharp-dressed bug
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Celebrating 30 years of eye-opening images
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Flamenco dancers
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Explorer of the sea
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Winter at Valley Forge
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New Zealand s loneliest mountain
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Barcelona bids farewell to summer
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Busy building wetlands
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Eben Ice Caves, Upper Peninsula, Michigan
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Ponta da Piedade rock formations in Portugal
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When Death Valley blew its top
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World Chocolate Day
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Quebec City for Winter Carnival
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Bathing boxes at Brighton Beach, Australia
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Bridge of Sighs in Venice, Italy
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Unearthing a queen s lost tale
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Art and soul