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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South Padre Island, Texas
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Darwin Day
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Sweetheart Abbey, Scotland
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Beaver achievers
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World Rivers Day
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World Teachers Day
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A peek at an explosive peak
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North Cascades National Park at 50
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In honor of those we ve lost
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Oh, to sleep under the northern lights
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Fighting evil with costumes
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Perfect timing
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Eastern grey kangaroos in Australia’s Kosciuszko National Park
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A night of art and culture
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A summertime light show
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Salmon return to the Copper River
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Sand dunes in the Sahara, Algeria
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Roman theater of Cartagena, Spain
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Deep in the North Woods wetlands
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Happy Presidents Day
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Make your list and check it twice
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Château de Villandry, France
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1934 Labor Day parade, Gastonia, North Carolina
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A stroll above the stratosphere
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National Take a Hike Day
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Opt outside today
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Spring comes to Glacier National Park
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Great horned owl near Lake Tohopekaliga, Florida
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Fire-damaged forest near Wolf Creek Pass, Colorado
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Cumberland Island National Seashore