FAQ

Here are some common questions and answers

- How does the "click" work?

"Ett klick för skogen" is Swedish for "A Click for the Forest", the name of our Foundation. Our goal in setting up this Foundation was to develop an easy way for people from all walks of life to help preserve old growth forests. By working closely with our sponsors, a simple click each day is all that it takes to save forest. Each click on the button "A Click for the Forest" results in a contribution from our sponsors which enables our Foundation to buy and protect old forests in Sweden. And it's absolutely FREE for you to take part and help. Our goal in setting up the  Foundation was to make it simple and fast for people everywhere to make a significant contribution towards the conservation of old growth forests without having to spend any money. A simple click every day is all that it takes to make a difference!

- Why does the amount saved forest per click change every now and then?

The amount of forest saved per click varies between 2-30 square decimetres depending on how many sponsors we have at the time of your click and how much the sponsors are paying per click.

- What kind of forest does the foundation buy and protect?

The Foundation protects forests with high conservation values. We use surveys from The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, The County Administrative Board, The National Board of Forestry and the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation. We also take advice from these bodies, and we endeavour to cooperate with them in order to find out which forests most require protection. Our goal is that the forests bought by A Click for the Forest will play a significant role in the preservation of signal species and red-listed endangered species.

- What is the process for selecting and buying a forest?

A Click for the Forest only buys forests that the government fails to protect. Organisations such as The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, The County Administrative Board, The National Board of Forestry and The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation advise us which forests with high conservational values are in danger of being logged and lost forever. We then offer to buy the forest from the existing land owners at market rates, providing them with economic compensation while preserving the forests in their natural state. However the ultimate decision is in the hands of the existing land owner, and our Foundation can do nothing if the owners refuse to sell their land and prefer to see it logged. Nevertheless, we endeavour to work with landowners and educate them about our Foundation's goals and benefits.

- Where are the forests located?

Scandinavia, Sweden.

- When did A Click for the Forest start?

A Click for the Forest started in February 2004.

- How many forests has been bought and protected by the Foundation?

A Click for the Forest has to this day protected two forests with high ecological values. The first one, Årrenjarka , which is located in the northern part of Sweden, was saved in July 2005. The second forest we saved was the Verleforest in the south of Sweden and the project was accomplished in March 2009. We now work towards our goal to save our third forest. 

-Isn't Sweden covered with forests?

Haven't enough forests got protection from logging? Although forests can be found across Sweden:
- Less than 5% of the forests outside alpine areas can be considered "old growth" (Source: The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency)
- Only 0.9 % of the forests outside alpine areas have permanent protection from logging (Source: The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency)
- The number of threatened species in Sweden is now as high as 3653 on the national list of endagered spieces, and half of them depend on the forests for their survival.
-According to forestexperts; 20-30 percent of all forest in Sweden must be protected from forestry to guarantee the survival of the endagered spieces.

More and more of these precious old growth forests are disappearing everyday.

- Isn't it the Swedish Government's responsibility to protect old growth forest in Sweden?

In theory yes. However the Governmental bodies responsible for protecting old growth forest are experiencing lack of funding.  Because of lack of funds to protect old growth forest they can only create protection for a limited number of forests resulting in many valuable forests being lost forever by logging. A Click for the Forests niche is to buy and protect forests that the Government doesn't have resources to save themselves, thus making the Swedish system of protecting forests more complete!

-How do I know that my effort in clicking and donating money goes to buying & conserving forests?

In order to guarantee that all your "clicks" and other donations are used to buy and conserve forests, our Foundation has secured official certification (known in Sweden as a "90-account") which ensures that the money that is collected goes to buying forest and that the Foundation does not have unreasonable costs. The 90-account is an independent organisation managed by Stiftelsen för insamlingskontroll and is a member of The International Committee on Fundrasing Organisations. Other well known organisations certified with an 90-account:
- The Red Cross
- World Wildlife Foundation
- Save the Children
- Lions Club

- How do I know that the Foundations forest won't get logged?

In order to guarantee permanent protection of the forest bought by the Foundation, our Foundation's constitution has been written so that it can not be changed and is legally binding. Swedish law stipulates that a foundation must adhere to its constitution at all times (1994:1220). Our constitution gives all forest owned by us permanent protection from logging. Additionally, when the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten agrees, the Foundations forests shall become a Natural Reserve, at no cost to the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten.

-What happens with the forests if the Foundation is being dissolved?

In the event of A Click for the Forest being dissolved, the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten is legally responsible for ensuring that the Foundation's assets and forests are handed over to another organisation that will continue to manage them in accordance with our Constitution.

- How did the idea behind the foundation develop? Who are its founders?

The founders Ann Rask and Jenny Strand grew up in the northern part of Sweden, with daily exposure to the natural beauty of the region. However for several years they have both been studying and working overseas. Their time overseas has made them even more aware of the uniqueness of Sweden's clear waterways, fresh air and beautiful forests. Having lived in countries where the only remaining access to nature for people is via city parks, they became determined that the same should not happen in Sweden. And so A Click for the Forests was born in February 2004.