WFFT Forest Restoration project

 
   

The WFFT is after only six years of it existence, ready for some more projects besides the rescue center and the mobile wildlife clinic. We feel that we should not only protect and rehabilitate wild animals, but should also be focusing on the protection and restoration of the forest, the home of wildlife…

Simon Purser who Joined WFFT almost 18 months ago has been very busy since end of last year to set up this new project!
   
The WFFT wildlife rescue center currently (May 2008) occupies 24 hectares or 240,000 square meters, a massive size in itself. However the total forest size of the Kao Look Chang temple is much larger, all together 208 hectares of over 2,000,000 square meters of forest. This forest has been heavily degraded by poachers, illegal loggers and even by captive herds of cows. Thailand’s government was promoting the keeping of an increasing number of cows “for the poor people”, despite these people having no grazing land. The result is that hundreds of cows were grazing daily in the forest of the temple, destroying all young trees and plants.
 

Monks fighting the fire January 2008

 

  

volunteers and monks fighting on...

 

volunteers and monks working alongside stopping the fires by making a corridor

volunteers and monks working alongside stopping the fires by making a corridor

Many species of hard wood were cut and lots of people set traps for smaller wildlife such as the Asian hare, civets, fishing cats, reptiles and exotic birds. Result; a degraded forest that in the dry season even gets burned by villagers to jump-start the grass growth, damaging the trees even more…  

 

figs and other fruiting trees waiting to be planted

3 to 6 months old saplings

 

But things are going to change! We are very proud to introduce our latest project, the WFFT Forest Restoration project. This new project focuses completely on reforestation and forest restoration of the 200+ hectares of forest that belongs to the temple, with an educational nature trail within the newly completely fenced-off area. Lots of research has been undertaken regarding the species of trees that are still found on our premises (over 150 different species of trees!) and around the area nearby. We have built a fantastic nursery where we can grow up to 20,000 trees a year. In addition, we have also worked with the older local villagers, who have been giving us important information about the plant and tree species that have disappeared from the area over the last few decades from the older local villagers.

7,000 trees waiting to be planted...
The project will only focus on local species of plants, trees and orchids, to restore the forest at Kao Look Chang back and surrounding areas to it's original state. With the help and input of local people the project should not only improve the forest but also create lots of awareness amongst the local people. 

For more info on how to help out or volunteer e-mail Simon Purser on volunteer@wfft.org

 

 

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