100 Interesting Facts about Forests

Cocaine Bear also known as Pablo Escobar died in a National Forest in Kentucky in 1985 after ingesting a portion of 75lbs of coke ($15 million value) that had been dropped by a drug-smuggling, corrupt, fugitive lawyer who had been parachuting with it before falling to his death.

52. There exists an underwater forest in Lake Kaindy, Kazakhstan that was created after an earthquake in 1911 triggered a large landslide blocking the gorge and forming a natural dam

53. We can drink alcohol because of a gene which most likely helped human ancestors make the most out of rotting, fermented fruit that fell onto the forest floor.

54. A man planted 7,000 trees to make a guitar shaped forest as tribute to his late wife.

55. Alaska has a rainforest and its the largest one in the United States.

Louis XIV's minister of finance had the huge Forest of Troncais created in 1670 to provide the future French Navy with a supply of oak masts. When the forest reached maturity 250 years later, the navy was busy switching to steam ships.

57. In Germany there exists the Waldkindergarten: preschools held entirely outdoors in a forest, regardless of weather conditions

58. It is estimated that old-growth redwood forest once covered close to 2,000,000 acres (8,100 km2) of coastal northern California. 96% of all old-growth redwoods have been logged.

59. The loneliest man in the world is the sole survivor of his tribe and lives completely alone in the Amazon forest.

60. The 1964 Alaska Megathrust quake (magnitude 9.2) was so violent it drove land vertically upwards by 30 feet and liquefied the soil, creating vast forests of dead trees still standing today.

After the explosion of faulty engine LOT Polish Airlines pilots fought for control of burning aircraft for 30 minutes. They almost made it back to the airport. About 2 minutes from the runway the aircraft crashed into a forest. Last recorded crew message was "Good night! Goodbye! Bye, we're dying!"

62. The ZIKA virus was discovered in the Zika forest of Uganda in 1947 but only became a world health concern in 2007

63. The Crooked Forest, a grove of trees in Poland that grows with a 90-degree bend at the base of their trunks. No one knows why they grow like this.

64. In 1987, Mr. T angered the residents of Lake Forest, by cutting down more than a hundred oak trees on his estate. The incident was called The Lake Forest Chain Saw Massacre

65. Polish prostitutes hang out in the forests surrounding Warsaw and because they are not taxed, those who cite prostitution as a profession are required to provide photos and client testimonials to tax authorities

The president of Gabon vowed to protect the country's forests by setting up a system of parks after watching the National Geographic Television film "Africa Extreme". Gabon is 75 percent jungle

67. In 1946, 50 beavers were introduced to Tierra del Fuego, the island at the southernmost tip of South America, in hopes of fostering a fur trade. No such fur trade developed, but the Beavers now number over 100,000 and are causing irreparable damage to Patagonia's forests

68. When turkeys were reintroduced to New England, they chose to live in cities instead of the forests turkeys as living in tandem with humans dramatically improved their survival rate

69. Liquindi, or Pygmy water drumming, is practiced by the Baka Forest People of Central Africa. Tones are produced by trapping air in one's hands and hitting the surface of the water, to create percussive musical rhythms.

70. In Japan, there is something called "Forest bathing" that involves taking long walks in the forest and "is regarded as being similar to natural aromatherapy

The last known "wild Indian" (i.e. one knowing nothing about American/European culture) emerged from his isolated forest home in 1911 and spent the rest of his life living with, working with, and being studied by anthropologists.

72. The Lyme disease bacteria is actually transmitted from mice to ticks. And that humans have greatly contributed to outbreaks by causing forest fragmentation and killing predators.

73. Shigeru Miyamoto created the Legend of Zelda based on his childhood memories, drawing inspiration from wandering around the countryside and exploring actual forests and caves.

74. There are two towers in Milan called the Bosco Verticale that are host to more than 700 trees constituting more than 90 species. The name literally means 'Vertical Forest'

75. Redwood Trees need forest fires to germinate their seeds.