Virtual Museum of Canada
Jardin botanique de Montréal 
Centre for Forest Research

Tomorrow’s Earth

"We had about 8 billion hectares of forests, we have 4 billion now, and we will probably lose 1 or 2 more billion more. [...] But once we’ve understood this, maybe we’ll try to better manage what we have left, and maybe even slowly restore it." Christian Messier, CFR director

"I’m quite pessimistic [...] when you see the deterioration of the environment. [...] I still hope nonetheless that mankind will react before it’s too late. Where I take my stand is that we must not give up. We must convince, we must sensitize, we must work..." Michel Labrecque, curator, Jardin botanique de Montréal

"It will be a completely changed forest, everywhere on the planet, that’s obvious. [...] It will always be a battle, but I think we will work to maintain it, or else we are going to suffer a lot." Alain Cogliastro, botanist, Jardin botanique de Montréal

"We are in the process of changing profoundly the forest. If we go on at that rhythm, the natural forest will not exist anymore. So, [...] what do we want to preserve, and, really, what does being a forest mean to us?"Isabelle Aubin, scientific researcher, Canadian Forest Service (CFS), Natural Resources Canada

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Photo of a Bristlecone pine