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Glasgow Partner Forest Boardwalk
The Partner Forest boardwalk for Glasgow COP26 is made of wood cut from trees in a way that helps communities conserve thousands of hectares of tropical rainforest.
How can cutting trees be good for a forest? By creating value for healthy standing forests, and sustainable income and conservation incentives for local people and indigenous landowners.
Most tropical deforestation is due to conversion of forests into agricultural lands. Sustainable forestry provides an alternative source of income and maintains the essential functions of the forest, including its biodiversity and its carbon stock. The key is the way forests are managed. The FSC certified pucte and greenheart timber used in Glasgow is harvested according to strict conservation planning, where approximately one tree is harvested per acre (two per hectare) every 40 years. Low impact operations are tightly regulated and any temporary equipment roads are returned to nature after use. Millions of hectares of tropical forest per year could be saved or positively impacted if this type of community-based conservation was expanded around the world, with a substantial benefit to people and the climate.
The key factor to achieving this goal is creating a reliable market for this “conservation forestry” timber. Cities around the world facing the climate emergency have much to gain from supporting this type of conservation. Not only are cities looking for carbon negative solutions, but they also need long lasting low carbon infrastructure. Sustainably harvested wood, sourced directly from a partner forest community who closely monitors its forests, can offer multiple benefits to cities. We are excited that Glasgow will be among the first of many cities to create a mutually-beneficial partnership with a tropical forest conservation community.
The engraved quotes and diagrams on the boardwalk are from the forest community, the scientific community, and the Glasgow community.
Connecting the conservation efforts of wood products to the Partner Forests Food Truck
Representatives from ACOFOP, WCS, Glasgow City Council, and Cities4Forests celebrating the connection.
Detail from the boardwalk showing the laser-etched quotes
Laser-etched pucte boards prior to installation at the Sustainable Landing Hub in Glasgow
A close-up of a prominent board from the Glasgow Partner Forest Boardwalk
A glimpse at the process behind the Partner Forest Boardwalk at COP26 in Glasgow