Can forests help local communities? Can local forests contribute
to he wellbeing of local communities, and if so, how? That’s the
question organizers plan to explore on Sept. 29 when the
Canadian Institute of Forestry, Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere
Reserve, and Vancouver Island University sponsor a community
dialogue session for local residents in Ladysmith, Nanaimo,
Parksville and Qualicum Beach. The purpose of the session is to
discuss and document community perspectives on the roles of
local forests in contributing to the wellbeing of local
communities. The session will be held at VIU Nanaimo Campus,
Building 356, Room 111, from 6 to 9 p.m. Organizers hope to
attract input from a range of forest users on questions such as:
• What kinds of goods and services does our community need from
local forests for our social, cultural, and economic wellbeing?
• What do we perceive as the major obstacles that stand in the
way of realizing these needs? • What specific actions could we
take to overcome these obstacles? • W