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On 13 October 2011, the United Nations Postal Administration issued three mini-sheets of eight stamps to commemorate the International Year of Forests.
The Designs
US$ 0.44 & US$ 0.98 FDC - Trees as Guardians of the Earth
The stamp series illustrates a magical forest with its indigenous peoples and denizens. Forest people around the world have lived in harmony within these ecosystems. Indigenous art reflects their vision of the spiritual and natural worlds. "Civilized" societies are now aware that trees aid in the prevention of soil erosion, by air and water, and how they serve as natural barriers protecting our cities from harm during natural disasters, while also providing us with clean air. Some believe the earth itself is one living being, some call her Gaia, Mother Earth, Pacha Mama. You and I call her home. The artist has depicted her as a glowing ball of energy deep at our core.
F.s 0.85 & F.s 1.40 FDC - Migration and Purification
The stamp series showcases forests not only above ground but also underwater, as in the vast kelp forests of the Pacific, in tandem with the subject of migration. Many animals, large and small, not only make their homes in our forests but also use them as way stations on their seasonal travels. Forests serve as points of navigation for birds, butterfl ies and other migratory species who use them to guide their way. Trees also play a vital role in keeping our bodies of water clean.
€ 0.62 & € 0.70 FDC - Pharmacies and Man
The stamp series is meant to illustrate our forests as untapped pharmacies, where many medicines and botanicals have been discovered. Only a fraction of the world's forests have been analysed before being cut down. Sadly, we are squandering what could be a repository for cures to some of the world's ailments. The image continues in the lower area to depict the duality of man's interdependence with the natural world but also darkly on man imposing his will/shape in its subordination for personal gain.
Special First Day Cancellations
On 13 October 2011, first day cancellations for the "International Year of Forests " stamps were made available at United Nations Headquarters in New York, the Palais des Nations, Geneva and the Vienna International Centre as seen in the scanned FDCs' above.
First Day covers for the "International Year of Forests" stamps were made available in the following versions:
Single - a total of three covers, each with one se-tenant of two stamps of the values issued, appropriately cancelled
Jumbo - a total of three covers, each with one miniature sheet of eight stamps of the values issued, appropriately cancelled Triple - one jumbo size cover with all three se-tenants of two stamps issued, appropriately cancelled New York, Geneva and ViennaStamp Specifications
Format: 32 mm horizontally x 40 mm vertically, perforation to perforation Marginal Inscription
Each sheet has two marginal inscriptions, one in the top margin and one in the bottom margin. The marginal inscription consists of the United Nations emblem with the text "United" to the left of the emblem and "Nations" to the right of the emblem. The artist's signature appears in the lower right margin and one copyright symbol with the year 2011 appears in the lower left margin.
The stamps were printed in offset in hexachrome plus foils by Lowe-Martin Group (Canada).
The Artist
The artist, Sergio Baradat, had the following to say about the stamp designs:
"Creating the IYOF stamp series has been a wonderful experience for me. Having grown up in Miami, Florida, I grew up very close to nature; whether it was snorkeling and developing an early appreciation for aquatic life, climbing mango and tamarind trees with my friends, or joining the Pan American Orchid Society at the age of 14. These experiences have made me very appreciative and respectful of all living things and sentient beings. My wish in creating the imagery for this series was to focus on a few points I thought were simple, but key to our understanding of the vital links that trees and forests provide to life on earth".
About the Issue
Designated by the United Nations General Assembly, 2011 is the International Year of Forests. During this Year, everyone from Governments and the United Nations system, to major groups and other forest-related organizations are coming together to raise awareness on strengthening the sustainable management, conservation and development of all types of forests for the benefit of current and future generations.
United Nations Secretary-General BAN Ki-moon said, "By declaring 2011 as the International Year of Forests, the United Nations General Assembly has created an important platform to educate the global community about the great value of forests - and the extreme social, economic and environmental costs of losing them".
The global observance of the Year comes at a time when there has been a much wider recognition of the role that sustainably managed forests play in everything from mitigating climate change to providing wood, medicines and livelihoods for people around the world.
The world's forests cover one third of the Earth's land surface. Forests help to maintain the fertility of agricultural land, protect water sources and reduce the risks of natural disasters. They provide subsistence and income to about 350 million people who live within or near forests. Close to 1.6 billion people depend to some extent on forests for their livelihood.
Millions of hectares of forests are lost every year due to deforestation and forest degradation which impacts watersheds and habitats and also accounts for up to 20 per cent of the global greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.
The main theme for the International Year of Forests 2011 is "Forests for People". It highlights the dynamic relationship between forests and the people who depend on them. Everyone of us is connected to forests. Forests contribute to the balance of oxygen, carbon dioxide and humidity in the air. Over 40 % of the world's oxygen is produced from rainforests. A tree releases 8 to 10 times more moisture into the atmosphere than the equivalent area of the ocean. Forests protect watersheds which supply fresh water to rivers - a critical source of the water we drink and use in our daily lives.
Healthy forests sustain healthy people. Tropical forests provide a vast array of medicinal plants used in healing and health care. More than a quarter of modern medicines originate from tropical forest plants. Forests curb transmission of infectious diseases. Undisturbed tropical forests can have a moderating effect on the spread of insect- and animal-borne diseases.
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