Wildlife Alliance Reforestation Project

The purpose of the Wildlife Alliance Reforestation Project is to repair the destroyed forest patches that were illegally logged and burned for state land grabbing. When rangers found a patch of destroyed forest, they posted signs on the trees to warn the offenders “This is illegal cutting of state forest. Cutting or burning is punished by the law” and the rangers monitored the site regularly to ensure that the offenders did not return to put fences and start building.

Reforestation is a strategy to prevent further forest land grabbing and return the land to the state. Reforested sites are advertised with billboards warning the public “This is a State land reforestation project under jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environment.”

The 1 Million Tree Nursery in Chi Phat focuses on the Southern portion of the Cardamoms and has reforested 817 ha of deforested land in 2010-2015. The project then stopped due to lack of funding. The greenhouse and shade nets fell into disrepair and had to be replaced in 2023, although with fewer shade nets for 187,392 saplings instead of 1 million.

Situated just outside the village of Chi Phat, the nursery cultivates 18 species of saplings. Designed to mimic a natural canopy, the nursery protects saplings from insects and direct sunlight. Wildlife Alliance botanists collaborate with local communities to collect seeds from beneath mother trees and grow them for the first 3 months inside a greenhouse that imitates the conditions under the mother tree.

The initial stages of the process involve seed collection, treatment, sowing, and germination. Species such as Dipterocarpus alatus, Sindora siamensis, Pterocarpus macrocarpus, and Dipterocaprpus obtusifolious are among those being nurtured. Addressing nutrient-poor soil,

Wildlife Alliance employs a compost formula mixed with cut grass and lime to reintegrate organic matter and oxygen. Heavy machinery is used to create deep rows for inserting compost. Saplings are ready for field planting between 6-12 months, depending on the species. The areas are strategically chosen to regenerate the forest where it was burned and cleared by land grabbers.

The fields of new saplings are protected by Wildlife Alliance so that people do not destroy the forest again. Maintenance is executed over a period of 5 years post-planting. This period is crucial to minimizing losses and ensuring the establishment of enduring ecosystems. Maintenance activities include regular soil enrichment and the replacement of lost saplings.

To-date, the project has successfully reforested 4,170,000 square meters in the Koh Kong and Sihanoukville provinces.

For more information and other interesting projects by Wildlife Alliance, please visit https://www.wildlifealliance.org/