World Rainforest Day is a recently new holiday. This June 22 holiday was created in 2017 to raise awareness of the importance of rainforests around the world for the health of the Earth, and ultimately for your health, too.  Rainforests are just 6% of the land mass of our planet. And they are decreasing at an alarming rate. It is time to pay attention to this vital asset and reverse the trend of shrinking rainforest areas.

Tropical rainforests do many good things for the Earth and its inhabitants. 20% of the oxygen we breathe, comes from rainforests. They offer many other benefits, including the absorption of harmful carbon dioxide, and stabilizing climates. About half the plant and animal species on the planet call rainforests their home. The diversity, and potential of these areas is nothing short of astonishing.

Tropical rainforests exist all over the world. We all know the biggest, the Amazon located in South America. Most of us know of the tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia, too. However, there are many rainforests around the world. Some of them are in places you would never think of. There are rainforests in the United States, including Hawaii, the Appalachians, and even Alaska. There is a rainforest on Vancouver Island in Canada, too.  

Did you know? While we think of rainforests in tropical areas, not all rainforests are in the tropics.