Looking at forestry through another lens – Forestry Explained issues another call for photos!
The Forestry Explained Instagram account (forestry_explained) provides a platform to promote the biodiversity and natural beauty found on forestry-owned land in South Africa. By using this popular social media channel, we aim to raise awareness about the rare and threatened species found in and around South Africa’s commercial forests and dispel the myth that forestry-owned land are ‘green deserts’.
The images we post are collected from a range of sources including camera traps, research expeditions and forestry photographic libraries (both company owned and personal). We usually post twice a week, primarily on Wednesday (#WildlifeWednesday) and Sunday (#SundaySighting).
Thank you to everyone who has sent in photos for us to use on Instagram. Your contributions have seen our followers increase from 166 in January to 229. 500 followers is this year’s target, so we are almost half way there!
Why do we believe Instagram matters? Because we believe showcasing the biodiversity found on forestry-owned land is one way of dispelling some of the myths surrounding commercial plantation forestry in South Africa. By using Instagram as our flagship social media platform, we can make more people aware of the conservation areas protected within our plantations. It also gives us the opportunity to give people a glimpse of the animals that inhabit or roam the plantations. We know our plantation forests aren’t ‘green deserts’ – our Instagram presence allows us to prove this to the rest of South Africa.
What we need from you If you have any wildlife or nature photos captured on forestry-owned land that we can use please send them to: info@forestryexplained.co.za. Please provide as much information as possible including a caption for the image, where it was taken and who we should credit.
You can also get involved in promoting forestry on Instagram by:
Following us – @forestry_explained.
Posting your forestry-related images and tagging @forestry_explained.
Using the hashtag #discoverforestry on all your forestry posts.
We have started a #forestryfriday campaign on Instagram, reposting all the best #discoverforestry posts thus showcasing the diversity of life found across the country on forestry-owned land.
Thank you for your participation; let’s make 2018 a great year for forestry in South Africa.
Source: FSA
