Deforestation & Habitat Loss Puts Wildlife at Risk!

In the United States, our forests provide food and habitat to more than 3,000 species, including many of our 1,300 threatened and endangered species. They provide habitat for a wide range of mammals, birds, and amphibians. In fact, you can find 80% of amphibian, 75% of bird, and 68% of mammal species in forests. 

But these forests, and the wildlife that call them home, face serious threats. Drought, wildfire, invasive species, disease, and urban sprawl are impacting our forests’ health, and, by extension, the animals that live there. Human development can fragment forest habitat, pushing animals into smaller spaces and even putting specialist species that can only live in certain environments in peril. Habitat issues like this have contributed to North American bird populations falling 30% since 1970, and to 39% of freshwater species – which rely on trees to create healthy aquatic habitats – being at risk of extinction.

Improving forest health is an essential part of improving both the health of our planet and protecting biodiversity. That’s why we’ve partnered with several organizations and agencies to plant trees. One such partnership has been with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Future Forest Fund, which plants trees around the state in areas where the need is greatest.

Together with the Minnesota DNR we’ve planted red oak, white pine, and white spruce trees in the Lake Superior region to help ensure healthy mixed hardwood-conifer forests in northeastern Minnesota. These provide winter cover for white-tailed deer, help with carbon storage, and improve water quality for the people and animals that rely on that water.