THE TREE-PLANTING FEVER is not happening only on flat lands, uplands, and other earthy spaces like parks and highways. In many degraded coastal areasaround the country, mangroves are being planted or restored in growing numbers. Mangroves (or “bakawan”, the generic term in Tagalog) are salt-tolerant trees and shrubs that grow in tropical/subtropical coastal wetlands.
The activity is more aptly termed as mangrove reforestation. It is part of the National Greening Program to increase overall environment protection and help address the impacts of climate change.
MANGROVE REFORESTATION: Whys and Hows
As a tropical and archipelagic country, the Philippines has a strong need for a healthy mangrove ecosystem. Mangrove benefits: act as natural buffers against storm surges and coastal erosion; provide habitat and nurseries for fish, crabs, and marine species thus preserving biodiversity (aquatic as well as terrestrial – birds, bees, wildlife, other trees); capture and store significant amounts of carbon to help mitigate climate change; provide for livelihoods of communities through fisheries, ecotourism, harvesting of natural resources like wood, and other sustainable projects.
This kind of reforestation involves techniques like planting and transplanting seedlings, promoting natural regeneration, and engaging community effort and technology.
‘How do residents earn from mangrove reforestation? Tour organizers buy seedlings from them which they source free from surrounding trees. The residents nurture the seedlings in a nursery about a kilometer away and transport them a day before to the planting site. Then they co-plant with the visitors and help in related activities.’
A MANGROVE–PLANTING DAY
For urban dwellers who may be sponsored by a corporate group or an academic institution travelling in vans to a mangrove site, greater stamina and discomfort may be more expected than in a regular treeplanting on dry land.
For one, they may have to take off from Manila as early as 3am to reach a coastal destination about 3-4 hours away. Then it’s walking on muddy wetlands in rubber aqua shoes and bending to plant seedlings on a long stretch of the coast then doing tree potting and coastal clean-up after.
One Non-Government Organization engaged inreforestation (mangrove, upland) is Nature Awareness and Conservation Club, Inc. They package tours whichinclude meals on site, joint community work, and an orientation on Creation, Community, Climate, and Conservation for better appreciation of the activity.NACC has ongoing reforestation (mangrove and upland) activities in Tanay, Rizal; Norzagaray,Bulacan; Calatagan and Lemery, Batangas; Bataan, and pursuing more.
According to its Social Responsibility Specialist, Violet Imperial, the success of reforestation can be measured not by how many trees are planted but byhow many lives are engaged in protecting them (from the community, government, non-government, corporate and institutional sponsors, or as individuals). Collective stewardship, in short.
RESILIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY
At the heart of mangrove reforestation is a community along a coastal area. Here, families live mostly in “kubo” shanties, survive on daily fishing harvests, fear weather-caused calamities (like “habagat” storms with high tides), and count on mangrove reforestation as their lifeline towards resilience and sustainability.
How do residents earn from mangrove reforestation? Tour organizers buy seedlings from them which they source free from surrounding trees. Theresidents nurture the seedlings in a nursery about a kilometer away and transport them a day before to the planting site. Then they co-plant with the visitors and help in related activities. With fees for all these services. The enterprising ones can also sell packed food and handcrafted souvenirs.
Participation in mangrove reforestation is one rewarding exercise of earth stewardship and humanity.