As progress and development continue in the Philippines, the onslaught on the natural environment has also been going on for years. The combination of climate change and man-made disasters have created a huge dent in our ecosystem. The country’s forest cover of 27 million hectares was reduced to 7.2 million hectares (2011 statistics) over the years.
In Negros Island alone, where I live, degradation of forests and the natural habitat has been running at about 2,400 hectares annually with a net forest loss of 290 hectares per year, according to Sunstar Bacolod, a local paper.
With our current state, it is imperative that every citizen must act upon this concern to avoid further damages on properties and lives of every living being. Environmental programs and projects, such as clean-ups, rehabilitation of rivers and tree-planting, are necessary to continually care for our ecology.
Last week, I trekked several kilometers from Sitio Campuestohan to the Upper Caliban-Imbang Watershed in Talisay City for a tree planting activity, coupled with a free clinic that the Dr Pablo O. Torre Foundation, Inc. (DPOTFI), where I work, spearheaded for the little community that is found in that area.
I have only been to Campuestohan Highland Resort, where our bus stopped because the vehicle could no longer climb the rough road filled with large stones and muddy soil that was softened by the rain. And so, we had to walk from the entrance of the resort to about 10 to 15 minutes uphill until we reached what seemed to be an abandoned school building.
There we had our briefing. We assembled the medicines and items that we brought to the free clinic, while the company that organized the tree planting stationed the food they brought and the materials for the storytelling and games for children in one of the rooms.
Some volunteered to look after our stuff while the rest continued with the journey. We again trekked, this time passing through narrow trails, part of which was sandwiched between walls of soil. We passed by a small canal with fresh water raging through that came from the mountains. We climbed hills and slopes, walked along edges of cliffs and passed by houses until we reached a clearing. There we initiated our tree planting activity.
The Upper Caliban-Imbang Watershed or the Bacolod City watershed plays a vital role in providing water to the households of the city. It is also home to various flora and fauna and some animal species in the province. Thus, it is important to protect and maintain the biodiversity in this area.
The scenery was breathtaking with plants growing healthily. Wild ferns were also found at the clearing with twirls of its branches sprouting up in between. Flowers were also everywhere. We saw a cable car facility along the way which crosses Talisay City and Murcia.
We did the activity in partnership with the Negros Forests and Ecological Foundation (NFEFI), which supports the community in the Upper Caliban-Imbang Watershed area. Our purpose is to help plants and trees regenerate in the area, as well as care for the community that looks after it.
As one of the country’s most active not-for-profit conservation groups, NFEFI has also launched an animal adoption program the day before we had our tree planting.
In this program, individuals, schools, corporations and clubs are invited to adopt one (or more) of the many threatened animals kept at the Biodiversity Conservation Center (NFEFI-BCC) in Bacolod City. By doing so they will be helping to maintain a safe haven for threatened species.
NFEFI is committed to saving threatened endemic species from extinction. The NFEFI-BCC is a breeding center for some of the world’s most threatened species; the majority of which are found only in Negros and Panay and nowhere else in the world.
It has been successful in breeding these species and plan to eventually return the captive-bred individuals into their natural habitat. Meantime, while sites are still being evaluated for release about 100 animals call NFEFI-BCC their home. The Center is working closely with the Philippines Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc., the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and several international partners.
For just P33 a day, adopters can play a vital role in helping to save threatened species by providing funds to enable the NFEFI-BCC to continue to provide world-class care of these animals.
All adopters will receive a welcome pack featuring an adoption certificate, an image and fact sheet of the chosen animal; quarterly updates about the adoptive animal; free access to the NFEFI-BCC, 20 visitor passes acknowledgments at the BCC and on the group’s website.
In addition, adopters can go behind the scenes for a private meet-and-greet with the chosen animal or bird.
Adoptions run for one year. The monthly cost of P1,000 per animal or bird will cover its food, supplements, veterinary care, enrichment and improvements in the animal’s enclosure.
Animals and birds available for adoption include Visayan spotted deer, Visayan warty pig, Visayan leopard cat and Large Flying Fox; Rufous-headed hornbill, Visayan tarictic hornbill, Southern rufous hornbill, Negros bleeding-heart pigeon, Luzon bleeding-heart pigeon, buff-eared brown dove, metallic wood pigeon, pink-bellied imperial pigeon, Philippine cockatoo, white-bellied woodpecker, Philippine eagle-owl, Luzon hawk-owl and Philippine hawk-eagle and the rare Philippine sailfin lizard.
The NFEFI-BCC also welcome donations, however small. Every centavo goes to the center’s work of protecting and conserving some of the world’s most vulnerable animals. Please contact NFEFI-BCC’s curator Dr Joanne Justo on (034) 433-9234 or visit http://www.negrosforests.org/
We can never separate our daily lives from these animals and the environment that cares for us and protects us. We need to constantly give back to Mother Nature and care for her as well. The many disasters that we’ve been through is a wake-up call for all of us.
I hope that those trees we planted will soon grow, with branches and leaves to provide shade and shelter for birds and with roots that will prevent soil erosion and further degradation of our mountains. You, too, can do something and you can start with it today.
Tree planting is a great project. I’m all for anything that helps our environment. Good job!
We do need a lot of activities like this to help preserve our mother nature. Thank you!
Tree planting on a hot sunny day is quite challenging but it’s fulfilling to know that you are investing to benefit nature in the future. I like how green the plants are and the flowers are blooming everywhere. It’s also nice to know that our country has some threatened species that don’t exist elsewhere.
During our briefing, we were told that despite the lush environment we see at the mountains, there is only a few percent (I think 5%?) of forest left in our province. We really need to take action to bring back our forests and avoid further calamities in the future.
Thanks for sharing this great initiative and create the awareness that I believe everyone will need to know!
We hope to do more and may this be replicated in more places. 🙂
Nature is the most beautiful things ever, i feel so natural while reading and looking at those picture, i want to be here someday.
Yes, communing with nature is really a beautiful thing. 🙂
Some places pratice tree planting regularly in my country. Hope more places can do that too.
Yes, there are places where tree planting is a common activity. Here in the Philippines, it is done by many organizations and groups, but there is still a lot to do to really bring back the trees we have lost due to development.
That flowing water is magnificent! Amazing cat, looks like a miniature tiger or puma. Loving all those diff birds. Kids will love to see those animals
The animals are kept in a sanctuary in the heart of the City of Bacolod where they are cared for by veterinarians and experts.
an awesome event for a great cause! i wonder how will the meet and greet with the adopted animals go. is it a close up face to face experience or still behind cages? they’re still wild animals, aren’t they?
Some of them are placed in an enclosure for their protection and of those who visit the center. For roaming animals, like the deer and wild boar, they have a large area to roam around.
This a noble deed you have done. Tree planting is one endeavour every patriotic and Nature loving citizens must do.
I agree on that. 🙂
I love what you and your crew had done. Every little bit counts towards preserving our nature’s best resources!
It may seem little, but if everyone contributes to this endeavor, there is a big impact to our environment and society.
I have always wanted to participate in a tree planting project other than the one I’ve done back when I was a girl’s scout. Haven’t had the opportunity yet. Hopefully I will soon! Everyone should do it! The more trees, the merrier!
There are various tree planting activities that are being organized by civil society and the government. 🙂 In time, you’ll be able to join in one of those activities. 🙂
Tree planting is a great activity that helps replenish Mother Earth! Might I ask, these animals and birds, are they on display? Your article is a little unclear on that.
The animals are in the breeding center of the Negros Forest and Ecological Foundation. Visitors can come and view them. Those who want to adopt the animals can visit them regularly in the center where they are being cared by experts and veterinarians.
It is a wonderful initiative and you must be feeling great to be part of it.Tree plantation is a superb idea and if we all can do same.
I always enjoy taking part in tree planting activities, especially if the location is in the hilly or mountainous areas. 🙂
I always wanted to join a tree planting again. We did it yearly when I was in school in Baguio.
I’d want to join a tree planting activity in Baguio, too. A lot of trees have been cut down there already. I hope the forests will be restored so that landslides can be avoided.
Congratulations for this great initiative for the benefit of our planet. Planting trees is always good. I can think of no disadvantage for planting one. Kudos to your group!
Thank you for your kind words.
We should encourage more people to go for such activities not only doing good for the environment but also ourselves. Take a break to appreciate the nature and also exercise.
It’s a win-win solution. We help our environment, we take care of the future generation, and we get to unwind and relax as well as stretch our muscles. 🙂
Lucky you! I have always wanted to visit a place just like this where full of nature and animals.
In our countryside, nature is quite abundant, despite the decline due to the activities of human beings. Right in our backyard, we have fruit-bearing trees that grow without the need of fertilizers. Also, birds build nests and lay their young there without the threat of being captured, so birds come and go in our backyard, which is a beautiful thing. 🙂
what a great advocacy. tree planting is our assurance for the next generation . I hope those seedling grow fully. I love that waterfalls
Kudos for a job well done. It’s good that there is NFEFI-BCC working with other agencies to help our environment and nature.
Beautiful post! I loved the photos of the animals!!!! So cool that you were able to get such nice photos of them.
This is so amazing to be a part of. I have never seen this part of the world in person and seeing what you are doing is so cool. I love how you are helping the community and at the same time helping nature out.
I think adopting a wild animal is a great thing! I know WWF does it and I was thinking of adopting a penguin, as they are one of my favorite wild animals. It’s important to protect the nature and the wild animals living in their natural habitat.
Wow! Beautiful photos! I’d love to visit the Phillipines one day. You are doing such important work for the earth planting trees and supporting this great organization in breeding endangered species. I don’t do enough charitable work. This is definitely an inspiration.
I would love to join a tree planting activity with my kids in the future. 🙂 It would be a great hands-on activity for our “Be Green” lessons.
This is a magnificent endeavor! We only have one world to live in and we should definitely take good care of our dear mother earth. I’m also interested to support such cause 🙂
Beautiful photos!! Have you participated in another tree planting since you wrote about it? I think everyone should do their part to conserve our beautiful Earth.
Thank you! Yes, I have participated in another tree planting activity aside from this.
Awesome initiative! As a travel writer myself, I’ve always favored voluntourism. I hope to visit your homeland, Negros, very soon 🙂