Ontario Forestry Association
The Ontario Forestry Association (OFA) is a non-profit, registered charity. We are dedicated to raising awareness and understanding of all aspects of Ontario's forests, and to develop commitment to stewardship of forest ecosystems. Since 1949, the OFA has been involved in public education around forestry and environmental issues. To this day, we continue to increase public education and knowledge of forestry and environmental issues.
The OFA has worked for over 60 years to promote the value of forests in Ontario. The OFA reaches landowners, educators, students and the general public of Ontario. It achieves its mission through the promotion of forest education including classroom resources for students from grades 1 through 12, as well as a range of programs to support the good stewardship of private land forests.
How can you get involved?
| Programs | Activities | What you can do |
| OFA Newsletter | The OFA quarterly newsletter is sent out to members. The newsletter features updates about our programs, as well as useful articles about new information relevant to landowners, forestry professionals and educators. | Articles for the newsletter are always welcome. Articles should be focused on forestry information and issues relevant to our core member base. |
| OFA Landowner Workshops | The OFA is looking to expand its workshop series to include practical workshops across the province. | Volunteers for the workshops, including workshop leaders and experts are welcome. Contact us for more information. |
| Focus on Forests | Focus on Forests is an education program for students from grades 1 through 12. It is a FREE online resource providing lesson plans, activities and fact sheets for the general public and educators. | The OFA is always looking for new ideas for lesson plans, activities and fact sheets. Contact us if you feel like you have some way you can contribute. Visit www.focusonforests.ca |
| Ontario Envirothon | The Ontario Envirothon is the team sport for environmental smarts. It is a hands-on educational program for high school students. Over 20 regions operate their own regional events every year, with winners going on to represent their regions in the provincial competition. | Regional as well as the provincial competition, are always looking for volunteers to help at the events in April and May. Visit www.ontarioenvirothon.ca for more information. |
| Tree Bee | The Tree Bee is an annual event that takes place in the Greater Toronto Area. It is a tree identification competition for students in grades 4-6 that takes place in November. | Volunteers are needed for the event to help with registration and general help. Contact us for more information. |
| OFA Annual Conference | The OFA Annual Conference is seen as one of the major landowner events of the year. For over 60 years the OFA has been bringing together landowners, educators, forestry professionals and students to learn about forestry in Ontario. | Conference committee members, Volunteers, speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors are needed every year to make the event a success. The conference takes place the first week of February. Contact us for more details. |
| Public Outreach | The OFA attends numerous events throughout the year, including woodlot conferences, trade shows, educational shows and public education events. | General help at these shows including interacting with the public and delivering the message of the OFA is always needed. |
If you are interested in volunteering with the OFA please fill out a Volunteer Information form and send it to our office. We will keep your information on file and contact you as opportunities arise.
2010 Annual Report
Every year the OFA touches thousands of landowners, educators and students through our various education and stewardship programs. To see a highlight of our achievement from 2010, download our Annual Report.
2010 Annual Report (pdf)