Today is the International Day of Forests, created by the United Nations to help raise awareness about how forests can help humans generate environmental sustainability, create food security and produce thriving economies. Forests are also known for their carbon-capturing abilities and are one of our best defenses against the threat of climate change. Despite forests’ vital contributions to Earth, however, the world loses 18.7 million acres of forests every year, equivalent to 27 soccer fields every minute, due to varying causes, according to the World Wildlife Fund. With that in mind, Planet partners with organizations like Swift Geospatial, a company based in South Africa that utilizes technology to optimize forest management and help reduce the unnecessary cutting of trees. “Not many people realize how often trees are accidentally cut down that don’t need to be. It happens because forest managers need a better way to monitor cutting and stop mistakes before they happen,” says Michael Breetzke, co-founder and director of business development at Swift Geospatial. “Our technology and analyses paired with Planet’s data help forest managers make better decisions about smart, sustainable harvesting.” When a forest manager hires a contractor to cut down a compartment or section of a forest, Breetzke explains, sometimes the contractor will cut down the wrong one, getting rid of much younger trees not ready for harvest, or the wrong species, leading to the unnecessary loss of trees and revenue. [caption id="attachment_144646" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]