English

Forest for Life as Citizens' Movement

Forest For Life is environmental movement organization, especially a good reputation for the leading forest conservation and restoration movement. Forest For Life was founded in 1998 and began the forest tending movement. The more Forest For Life has striven to concentrate on forest movement, the more achieved its aims through planting trees and protecting forest for the past 20 years, such as enhancing its biodiversity, expanding native woodland cover and increasing public enjoyment in forest, etc. Our ultimate purpose is to build sustainable communities in needed areas through doing environmental action.

For this purpose, Forest For Life has been working with a wide range of partners and citizens to deliver the healthy forest for more than thirteen years with networks of 13 regional chapters throughout the country, Forest is, we believe, one of the very important alternatives to combat climate change, and at the same time, the basic point of the local environment concerned and theinternational sustainable solidarity activities.

We will care for forests and trees and campaign continuously to save threatened ancient forests and trees. Besides, improving sustainable forest management, increasing for employment creation through forest care and restoring forest land areas will help consider social and economic needs.

Achievements
1) 15,500,000 new jobs created, 440,000 ha of forest areas tended
2) Expansion of urban forestation movement

3,000 School Forests and one million square meter of Seoul Forest established

3) Raising awareness of the forest through forest experience programs and tree planting activities
4) Diverse new forest-related movements have been founded

Northeast Forest Forum, Forest for Peace, Forest Community Foundation, Seoul Green Trust, UN EcoPeace Leadership Center

5) NGOs, government organizations, and private corporations together formed a positive cooperation system to establish desirable directions for civil movement
Mission
Providing healthy forests and sustainable society with the support of citizens
Vision
Everyone enjoys a healthy life through 「Forest for Life」
Core value
Obj value1

Diversity

Obj value2

Harmony

Obj value3

Innovation

Obj value4

Communication & Partnership

Strategy and target
Expanding
communication with
citizens
  • Improvement of forest ecosystem services
  • Expansion of opportunities to meet forests
  • Strengthening communication with stakeholders
Strengthening
Citizen's
Leadership
  • Activating citizen's participation
  • Increasing community participation in forest management
  • Strengthening citizenship and volunteership
Expansion of healthy
forests
  • Increasing healthy forest
  • Forest management based on biodiversity
Strengthening
the social influence
  • Strengthening organizational capacity
  • Increasing communication capacity for stakeholders
Action plan

1. Urban Forest Movement for Green City Community

2. Children Learning from Forests, School Forest Movement

3. A Beautiful Forest Contest to share the value of beautiful forests

4. Human Life together with forests, forest culture and education movement

5. Forest trail movement to preserve beautiful forests

6. Message of Peace through Forest, Recovering degraded DPR Korea forests

7. Tree planting for the future generations

8. Forest policy activities for sustainable society

9. International cooperation activities for sustainable forests and communities

International forest cooperation activities in Asia

Mission
"Restoring Degraded Asian Forests and Creating a Sustainable Community"
Principle
  • Continuous involvement by members - Encouraging involvement by all aged persons
  • Ensuring local expertise through solidarity with international organizations and NGOs
  • Training local experts and human resources development through continuous education programs
  • Promotion of business based on activities of Forest for Life
  • Partnerships involving with various stakeholders
  • Minimizing uncertainty through step-by-step approach
Target and action
Empowerment
  • Education and training programs for local residents, local NGOs and local experts
  • Overseas training programs for members and citizens
Forest restoration
  • Small-scale afforestation
  • Forest tending
Improving
the life of residents
  • Establishing community forest
  • Increasing income for local residents
  • Establishing school forest and providing forest education program
Biodiversity
conservation
  • Wildlife habitat creation and conservation project
  • Monitoring biodiversity in conservation areas
International
network
construction
  • Official involvement of international organizations
  • MOU with local NGOs
  • Establishment of organizations in major target countries
Action plan
Purpose
  • To establish partnership/cooperation with local NGOs
  • To conduct local community-based pilot project through local partnership
Activity
1. Realization of regional partnerships
  • Establishing cooperation system withForest for Life Indonesia
2. Exchange and cooperation programs
  • Visiting typical forest/mangrove forest in Indonesia and related organizations (Bogor Botanical Garden, Pangrango National Park, Lumpin Nursery, Banda Aceh Mangrove Restoration Site, etc.)
  • Learning ecotourism and culture experience in Indonesia (Ethnic minorities in the Lake Toba area, eco-friendly coffee farms, etc.)
3. Pilot project for local community
  • Activities to create urban forests and school forests in the Jakarta area : Development of environmental education programs for local conditions
  • Educational activities to improve forest management and awareness for local residents near by Hambalang Eco-Edu Model Forest or Lombok Ecotourism Center