The Global Forest Information Service (GFIS) provides the framework to share forest-related information through a single gateway at www.gfis.net. It promotes the dissemination and sharing of forest and tree-related information and knowledge among the global forestry community by developing common information exchange standards, building capacity and enhancing partnerships among forestry information providers and users.

GFIS is built as a global partnership, across sectors and institutions, and aims to maximize the value of all forest information resources and providers worldwide. Through a bottom-up approach, partners determine the volume, coverage and type of information they would like to share through GFIS.

The GFIS gateway is based on RSS feeds (news, events, publications etc.) linked by information provider partners (www.gfis.net/gfis/partners.faces) to the GFIS search. For example around 60 new headlines are released daily on the entry page and 70 coming forest events are available on the calendar at www.gfis.net/gfis/calendar.faces.

GFIS, an IUFRO lead initiative, was endorsed in May 2004 at the twelfth meeting of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF).

BlogForest professionals around the world share their ideas and experiences on matters such as forest information management and sharing within the global forestry community. Besides the posts the blog contains GFIS workshop material. You can participate in the blog by commenting or if you are interested you can also write posts. http://www.gfis.net/blog

Twitter –  You can keep up to date with what’s going on in GFIS and forestry by following and commenting the GFIS_net tweets. http://twitter.com/GFIS_net

Facebook – If you have joined Facebook, you are also warmly welcome to join in a GFIS group. You can be involved in development of GFIS, join discussions on forest information-related issues, get the newest information about GFIS and get in touch with the forestry community online. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=177237995089&ref=mf

If you need more information about GFIS or your organization would like to join in GFIS please visit at www.gfis.net or contact Eero Mikkola (mikkola@iufro.org) GFIS Coordinator. Very shortly you will be able to listen to or download our first IUFRO podcast – An Interview with Eero Mikkola (GFIS Project Coordinator)