Calderon’s 38th Anniversary Celebration – Reforesting the Sierra Madres From Home

18 December 2020, Siniloan, Laguna Quezon Land Grant (LQLG), Sierra Madre Mountain Range. Antero and Marian thought of a meaningful way to celebrate their 38th anniversary by contributing to the planting of their own 38 living legacy trees at the LQLG. Below are pictures of the loving couple – congratulations on your 38th anniversary, may you enjoy the blessings of the Forest always!
The Calderons’ initiative show how significant it is to establish roots that are built to last.

“I was inspired to donate to save our trees because I saw the devastating effects during our recent typhoons. I have a small garden in our home and we have ampalaya, alugbati, kalamansi, lemons, tanglad and ampalaya. One legacy that I am sharing to my children (3 Marias) and my two apos aged 17 and 14 is to plant a tree during milestone celebrations like an anniversary or one’s birthday. I love and am awed by God’s awesome creation: trees, plants, fruits and flowers.” – Marian Calderon.

The Calderons also live by and demonstrate their support also for the environment and the local community of forest guards who planted their Philippine native forest trees on their behalf. They value the essence of trees in our lives, and the crucial role they play in our water, food and energy security, and thus our healthy existence –  so Kudos to the happy couple and their Family! Thank you for supporting our community too.

Aside from hand-washing and general sanitation, wearing face masks and social distancing during this crises, we can also plant trees from the safety of our own homes, with the assurance that the GPS coordinates are captured so you can watch your trees grow forever via GPS applications remotely. By doing so you are partaking in the much-needed reforestation of the longest mountain range in the Philippines, the Sierra Madres, whilst also providing an alternative livelihood source for the local communities in the area of Siniloan, Laguna.

THANK YOU MR & MRS CALDERON, MAY THE FOREST BE WITH YOU ALWAYS! 

“Calling all Plantitos and Plantitas! Take Climate Change Action Now!” – FEED Ambassador Ace Itchon

You might also choose to order Philippine native trees via FEED online, whereby the local community trained in forest protection, seedlings collection, propagation, planting and maintenance will plant and monitor your trees for the next 3-5 years (depending on species), typically achieving at least 85% survival rates.

Benefits of Ordering Trees and Having Them Planted in Your Name 

  1. Flood Protection – Sierra Madre serves as the buffer of most of typhoon that hits the Philippines it weekend the typhoon and the with the forest roots it directly holds onto in soil and prevent reduce the severity of floods especially for the low lying areas like manila.
  2. Water Conservation – absorbing and filtering water that infiltrates into the soil
  3. Increase Wild Life Habitat – Planting of variety of plant can yield valuable foraging, nesting, and roosting environments for a wide of animals.
  4. Carbon Sequestration – A mature tree absorbs carbon dioxide at a rate of 48 pounds per year. In one year, an acre of forest can absorb twice the CO2 produced by the average car’s annual mileage.
  5. Reducing Climate Change– if we act now, this could cut carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by up to 25 percent by planting trees.
  6. Livelihood Development – for local communities trained in seed/ling collection, propagation, nursery establishment; to planting and monitoring.

About the Laguna Quezon Land Grant

Laguna Quezon Land Grant suffered from deforestation, slash and burn for agricultural development, charcoal making and human settlements. In the early 1990s, FEED and the  University of the Philippines carried out reforestation efforts with the Armed Forces of the Philippines under the FEED-coined “Living Legacy: Plant a Tree, FEED our Future” program to address the issue of deforestation. In time, with growing interest from the private sector, government and the public at large, FEED developed its Climate Change Action Programs to address the also rapidly increasing CSR and volunteer movements addressing environmental conservation, ensuring community-based Ridge to Reef reforestation approach in order to also provide alternative livelihood opportunities for surrounding villages.

Long term survival is as critical as tree-planting is to sustainable reforestation programs, which is why all FEED plantings aim to achieve and have so far sustained survival rates of at least 85 percent of all species planted, making sure they thrive for future generations too.

The Laguna-Quezon Land Grant covers a 6,765-hectare property acquired by the UPLB by virtue of Republic Act 3608 of 1930, forming the larger part adjacent to the Laguna Land Grant in Paete, Laguna. Reforestation and biodiversity conservation remain the core focus of both land grants 90 years after its establishment, since majority of the remaining forest cover of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range is home to a last bastion for many species that have become endangered in other parts of the country.

The Sierra Madres span 690 km (430 miles) and is the longest mountain range in the Philippines. Through the north-south direction from Santa Ana in the province of Cagayan to the north and Bondoc Peninsula in Quezon to the south, the mountains form the eastern backbone of Luzon Island.

NATURE IS SPEAKING (Narrated by Julia Roberts)

What can I do to stop climate change?

“As the world warms, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense, sea levels are rising, prolonged droughts are putting pressure on food crops, and many animal and plant species are being driven to extinction. It’s hard to imagine what we as individuals can do to resolve a problem of this scale and severity.

The good news: We are not alone. People, communities, cities, businesses, schools, faith groups and other organizations are taking action. We’re fighting like our lives depend on it — because they do.

In a world of more than seven billion people, each of us is a drop in the bucket. But with enough drops, we can fill any bucket.” –  David Suzuki

Check out some of the ways you can take more climate change action.

For example, Climate Action groups are the local solution to a global crisis. Right now people just like you are coming together to develop practical, local solutions and make their towns and cities more climate-friendly. Are you ready to join them? Find out what’s happening near you.

More here: https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate-change/what-can-I-do-to-stop-climate-change

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Contact FEED

In 2015, the Philippine government submitted to the United Nations the country’s commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The country committed to reduce its carbon emissions by 70 percent by 2030. The carbon dioxide reductions will come from the sectors of energy, transport, waste, forestry and industry.

Join us!  Help us reverse the Earth’s “hothouse climate” tipping point.Tree-Planting with FEED

Contact us at FEED for more details, to join our regular activities or to design your own tree-nurturing eventinfo@feed.org.ph or call/text +63 (0)917 552 4722.

© Fostering Education & Environment for Development, Inc.