The Don’t Move Firewood, Hungry Pests, and PlayCleanGo campaigns are excited to co-facilitate Firewood Month in October!

SCHEDULE:

The goal of Firewood Month is to reduce firewood movement so as to slow the spread of forest pests and diseases via the firewood pathway. We focus each week of October on a specific theme, as follows for 2024:

• Week 1 (Oct 1-5): General information, disseminating ideas, promoting press releases describing the issues of firewood and the spread of forest pests.
• Week 2 (Oct 6-12): General information, or target to fall recreationalists- especially the demographics of hunters, anglers, and RV owners. In 2022, this week also overlaps with Fire Prevention Week, so cross-promoting with general fire safety tips is desirable.
• Week 3 (Oct 13-19): General information, or focus on firewood’s important role as a forest product during National Forest Products Week in the USA.
• Week 4 (Oct 20-31): General information, or messages targeted to people that buy or gather firewood to heat their homes or cabins.

RESOURCES:

Webinars

We will be either hosting or partaking in several webinars during the month of October 2024. Be sure to register for any and all of them to learn more about what we do and other news and updates in the world of forest pests and the firewood pathway! Visit our Firewood Month 2024 Webinars post to learn more and register.

Social Media Guidance

• 2024 Stakeholder kit available here:
  
  • 2024-Firewood-Month-Action-Kit PDF version
  • Visit the new Firewood Month social media image library
  • Do you need the Action Kit in Word format? Email us!
• Visit accounts twitter.com/dntmovefirewood and twitter.com/hungrypests to see live updates and get ideas during October.
• Please tag all social media posts with #FirewoodMonth to facilitate tracking of successes

Blog Archive and Articles for Inspiration

• What’s in Your Firewood? Article by Maine Dept. of Agriculture published in Penobscot Bay Pilot
• Firewood as a Vector of Forest Pest Dispersal in North America: What Do We Know, and What Do We Need to Know?, published by Don’t Move Firewood, 2021 guest blog
• October National Firewood Awareness Month, New York Almanack
• October is Firewood Month (2019) and Firewood and Invasive Insects (2018), Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Blog
• If you love fall fun, leave firewood at home, published by Michigan Department of Natural Resources, archived 2017 blog
• As the weather cools, your firewood choices matter, published by USDA APHIS, archived 2016 blog
• Donate Firewood to a Wood Bank, published by Don’t Move Firewood, archived 2015 blog
• Preserve Fall Color, published by Don’t Move Firewood, archived 2014 blog

Suggested Videos and Radio Ads to Share

• Don’t Move Firewood Radio Spots (six options), published by Don’t Move Firewood
• Invasive Pests Moving on Firewood, published by Hungry Pests
• What’s the Big Deal with Moving Firewood, published by Don’t Move Firewood
• Use Local Firewood, New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation
• Keep Forests Healthy – Don’t Move Firewood, published by Oregon Department of Forestry
• Firewood: Buy It Where You Burn It! California Dept. of Food and Agriculture
• Your Firewood Could be Spreading a Tree Killer, County New Center, County of San Diego, CA

Infographics

• October is Firewood Month Infographic and Social Media Snippets, published by Don’t Move Firewood
• Canadian October is Firewood Month Infographic, published by Canadian Council on Invasive Species
• 7 Ways to Leave Hungry Pests Behind, published by Hungry Pests
• Let’s Go Adventuring Infographic and Social Media Snippets, published by Don’t Move Firewood
• Trees All Around Us Infographic and Social Media Snippets, published by Don’t Move Firewood
• Firewood for Home Heating Infographic and Social Media Snippets, published by Don’t Move Firewood
• Firewood For Home Heating (2016 version), published by Don’t Move Firewood

Kid’s Materials

• Firewood Themed Coloring sheets, published by Don’t Move Firewood
• Stop the EAB, Don’t Move Firewood coloring activity book, published by Hungry Pests
• Hide and Creep activity sheet, published by Hungry Pests
• Comic strip story called “Not Good to Move Firewood” about Plant Hero, Frankie Barker, battling the Asian longhorned beetle in New England and the associated activity books and field guide, published by Plant Heroes.
• Comic strip story called “Camp Smart with Certified Firewood” about Plant Hero, Aponi Star, protecting California’s forest from polyphagous shot hole borer and the associated activity books and field guide, published by Plant Heroes.
• Printable Activity Books including firewood concepts: Emerald ash borer, published by Plant Heroes
• Printable Activity Books including firewood concepts: Walnut twig beetle, published by Plant Heroes

Supporting Webpages

• Firewood Month – General Information
• Firewood Month – Recreation 
• Firewood Month – Home and Cabin Heating
• Hungry Pests – How they spread – Firewood page
• Hungry Pests – How they spread – RV page
• Hungry Pests – What you can do to leave hungry pests behind
• Don’t Move Firewood Frequently Asked Questions