How would you go about preserving the forests in your country?

Each year, millions of hectares of forest are damaged or destroyed by fire, insects and diseases. In Poland especially in the seventies there was noticed an excessive exploitation of forests.

That is why the present generation has to preserve the environment in order to leave it usable in the future. Most preferably the protection aiming to keep the forests' problems within acceptable limits should be started immediately. In my opinion there are plenty of possibilities. For example pests and diseases are the great danger for our forests, because they reduce wood quality and often kill trees. Prevention and early detection are the best approach to pest problems. Planting disease-resistant and pest-resistant sub-species is a typical prevention measure, which can be built into government forest management plans. To detect pest and disease problems, children should already become familiar with the general warning signs of diseases and pests currently active in the area, and particularly with those diseases and pests which attack trees in the near forests.

Another aspect of protecting the forests is fire prevention. This means not only protecting them, but also homes, recreation areas, wildlife habitats and watersheds. The best protection against fire is to identify potential fire hazards and eliminate them. Taking further precautions like careful storing gasoline and other hazardous fuels to minimise fire danger can contribute here. Obviously one should remember that early detection of fire would limit damage. Thus, we should ensure that even children know whom to call when they spot a fire. When fire risks are high, regular ground patrols and fire towers prepared by the government can allow earlier detection.

In conclude the above still the most important undertaking is to educate children at school how important forests are and how they are damaged every day.