28 July 2020, Siniloan, Laguna, Sierra Madre Mountains. Millions of people around the globe stay home due to the Covi-19 pandemic outbreak, which makes It even more remarkable that volunteers like Mr. Van Tri NGUYEN remembered that he can still have a positive impact on the environment through the sponsoring of his very own 5 trees to be added to the SIerra Madre Mountain Range: “I am nature lover, like to plant and take care of them when I have free time. and I want to protect our living environment and contribute to combating climate change.” – NGUYEN VAN TRI (pictured above during another planting)
Students and Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE)
Although he was not able to attend himself, the forest guards team of the Laguna-Quezon Land Grant (LQLG), which forms part of the over 9,000 hectare protected reserve, were able to plant his 5 native Philippine trees on Mr. Nguyen’s behalf, for which Mr. Nguyen received a Certificate acknowledging him taking climate change action through FEED’s Students and Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE) planting program.
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 and you can watch your trees grow forever via satellite and other applications online or via mobile / 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.
“Calling all Plantitos and Plantitas!” – 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
- 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.
- Water Conservation – absorbing and filtering water that infiltrates into the soil
- Increase wild life Habitat – Planting of variety of plant can yield valuable foraging, nesting, and roosting environments for a wide of animals.
- 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.
- Reducing Climate Change– if we act now, this could cut carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by up to 25 percent by planting trees.
GPS Coordinates: 14 28’38.80”N 121 31’20.86”E
With these coordinates, SAVE sponsorVan Tri NGUYEN can track his trees remotely.
The use of GPS technology has been used for years to track animals in their natural habitats in an effort to better study their behavioural and movement patterns. With this information, biologists, ecologists and agro-foresters know better how to protect and provide for the forest’s vast array of natural wildlife and now even tree species.
Using GPS tracker applications and devices, FEED offers all LIVING LEGACY interventions – whether Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs, or Students and Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE) – GPS coordinates to help keep track of your trees, and to be able to monitor from anywhere in the world any time via Google Earth.
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
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 event: info@feed.org.ph or call/text +63 (0)917 552 4722.
© Fostering Education & Environment for Development, Inc.