Every three years the IMFN Secretariat brings together members of Model Forests (and their respective regional secretariats) from around the world in one location. The IMFN Global Forum, as this gathering is called, is primarily a business meeting in which Model Forests share knowledge, review their accomplishments, problem solve and create strategic plans for the years ahead. Previous meetings have taken place in Turrialba (Costa Rica) in 2005 and Hinton (Canada) in 2008. For more information on the 2008 Global Forum in Hinton, Alberta, Canada see the IMFN website.

Members of Model Forests from around the world met at the Burgos Convention Centre for this meeting, which is held every three years. The latest edition of the Global Forum welcomed new Model Forests that have joined this international network. The Ifrane Model Forest in Morocco and the Yalova Model Forest in Turkey are the latest members to join the Mediterranean network.

The objectives set for this latest edition by the International Model Forests Network (IMFN) were threefold:

1. To provide all members with an insight into the work carried out by other model forests since the previous edition of the Global Forum, held in Costa Rica in 2008.
2. To secure stronger, more consolidated institutional development.
3. To ensure that discussions on strategic initiatives contribute to improving the network and produce results in the coming years.

According to Peter Besseau, the IMFN’s Executive Director, the Global Forum successfully achieved all three objectives. One of the principal areas of discussion was the creation of a Members’ Charter for the IMFN, which would lay the foundations for the more solid institutional development set out in the Forum’s objectives.

Another key issue at the Global Forum was the debate surrounding strategic initiatives and the way the International Model Forests Network tackles common tasks through the various Model Forests and regions. Divided into four working groups, this session laid out the ground rules for this work over the next three years, which will focus on the following areas:

• climate change: initiatives aimed at acknowledging the contribution of forests to curbing climate change and helping them to adapt to changing conditions.
• environmental services: a number of pilot and test schemes for mechanisms that provide fair reward and credit for those that provide services that are hard to assess, such as water production or carbon fixing.
• community development: boosting the capacity of Model Forests to support the commercialisation and sale of products made in their landscapes, as well as experimenting with joint commercialisation methods and ventures will form the focus of work in this area between 2011 and 2014.
• and lastly, combining all the previous objectives and the individual work of each Model Forest and regional network, the International Model Forest Network will continue to boost its own capacity to generate, share and use know-how, providing support for the convergence of this know-how with other skills and competences in the quest for sustainable development.
   

The IMFN 2011 Global Forum in Burgos, Spain took place on March 25th and March 26th (with a field trip on March 24th). The Global Forum was open to Model Forest members only as it was primarily a business meeting of the IMFN. However, most Model Forest members who attended the Global Forum also participated in the International Symposium offering an excellent opportunity for Symposium participants to network with people directly involved in Model Forests around the world.
 

The International Model Forest Network (IMFN) is a global community of practice whose members and supporters work toward a common goal: the sustainable management of forest-based landscapes through the Model Forest approach. The IMFN is comprised of more than 50 member Model Forests in existence or under development in 30 member countries across 5 continents, five Regional Network Secretariats and the International Secretariat which is housed within Natural Resources Canada in Ottawa, Canada (please scroll down for contact list).
 

Model Forests are based on a flexible framework for learning and doing that combines the social, cultural and economic needs of local communities with the long-term sustainability of large landscapes in which forests are an important feature. By design they are voluntary, broad-based initiatives, linking forestry, research, agriculture, mining, recreation and other interests within a given landscape. While each Model Forest sets its own priorities, common themes found across the IMFN include biodiversity, conservation, forest restoration, sustainable economic development, education and good governance. These common themes form the basis for networking, learning, and innovating from local to global levels.

To learn more about Model Forests and the IMFN visit www.imfn.net

Regional Model Forest Secretariat Contacts

Mediterranean Model Forest Network
Miguel Segur Pelayo, Regional Coordinator
Plaza de la Universidad
Numero 4 - Entreplanta 1
47002 Valladolid
Spain
Telephone: +34 983 304 181

mmfn@mmfn.info
miguel.segur@cesefor.com
www.mmfn.info

Canadian Model Forest Network
Daniel Ryan, President and CEO
P.O. Bag 2150
10 Campus Drive
Kemptville, ON
Canada  K0G 1J0
Telephone: 1-613-258-8400
cmfn@cmfn-rcfm.ca
www.modelforest.net

Ibero-American Regional Model Forest Network
Fernando Carrera Gambetta, General Manager
CATIE 7170, Turrialba
Costa Rica C.A.
Tel (506) 2558 2619
fcarrera@catie.ac.cr
www.bosquesmodelo.net
www.catie.ac.cr

African Model Forest Network
Mariteuw Chimère Diaw, General Manager
Villa 1022 Bastos, Quartier Ambassade de Chine
BP 33678, Yaoundé
Cameroon
Telephone: +237 77 69 68 04

regional-office@africanmodelforests.org
c.diaw@africanmodelforests.org

Regional Model Forest Network - Asia
Dr. Jiang Chunqian, General Manager
Chinese Academy of Forestry
Wan Shou Shan P.O. Box 38
Beijing 100091
People's Republic of China
Telephone: 86-10-6288-9093/8577
jiangchq@caf.forestry.ac.cn

Russian Regional Model Forest Network
c/o Komi Model Forest
P.O. Box 810
Syktyvkar, Komi
Russia 16700
pmajewski@komimodelforest.ru
www.komimodelforest.ru

Northern Europe
c/o Vilhelmina Model Forest
Volgsjövägen 27, S-912 32
Vilhelmina, Sweden
leif.jougda@skogsstyrelsen.se
www.vilhelminamodelforest.se

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