Saturday, October 27, 2018

This savings group has an agreement with the nearby national park to collect seed of native trees from the park, raise seedlings, and then plant those seedlings within park boundaries to restore native species. The group started in 2014, and had their own tree nursery for their own tree planting project, which just happened to be right outside the park gate. Park authorities took notice and offered to fund the group to do a native tree planting campaign. This is a win-win because the group is now generating income, and the park is getting native tree restoration at a much lower cost. In addition to this collaboration with the park, the group is establishing their own community forest just outside the park boundaries. This is a real breakthrough, because for many years, it has been difficult or impossible to have any kind of community based activities in collaboration with the park authority. Our experience in Thailand tells us that CFM (community forest management) can be a huge success, and it is exciting to think about the possibilities that may now open up for this group and perhaps others. The best part? The name of this group is 'Planet'.

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