By Michelle Domocol @inflourish_
Back to Inflourish: Cebu Blog
In previous articles like, Forests Upwards & Outwards and November Blessings & Lessons, I introduced Healing Present’s reforestation projects. I emphasize the need for habitat restoration and native species revegetation. In this article, I’ll describe some of our reforestation planting methods and offer strategies you can try in your personal or community planting activities.
The forest pockets we privately developed in Healing Present are part of a wider public watershed forest system in Balamban. Although these pockets are less complex, fragmented remnants of the precolonial and prehistoric forests of upland Cebu, we still reap tremendous environmental benefits. Even in simpler forest patches, plants give us:
- clean air
- critical freshwater supplies
- stable soils that reduce landslides
- flood mitigation
The re-forested areas can never be complete replicates of its healthy precolonial or prehistoric state. They are still a healthy improvement from the damage suffered from the 1970s through to the 1990s. From the 70s through to the 90s, Balamban was deforested for lumber, excessively burnt for agricultural production, and mountains were exploded to construct roads. In the 90s, the property where Healing Present site resides was cut for lumber, burnt and depleted by corn plots and charcoal harvests. There were small disconnected clumps of trees dominated by local palm species like lubi-lubi. The plant diversity was incredibly low. However, in the early 2000s, after the land was purchased by Healing Present, the staff and founder fenced off the land. They allowed the land to rest. They stopped excessive agricultural extraction, returned nutrients to the soil, and started planting native vegetation.
In the mid 2000s, the tree planting strategies became more refined and more effective. More area was covered in multiple species of native trees, shrubs, and beneficial groundcovers. Till now, these plants were maturing, reproducing and remain undisturbed. They are not chopped down or harvested. Tree and shrub species diversity was growing into the 100s. More varieties of birds, bats, lizards, and other reptiles were visiting our maturing forest communities. Our freshwater supply is more stable and the expansive network of plant roots shield us from massive erosion, landslides, and unmanageable flooding. Nothing like powerful forest roots, leaves, and soil to absorb the impact of natural disasters.
So how do we maintain our forest pockets and what technique can you adopt? How do we determine which techniques are most appropriate for the site’s limitations and qualities. Some of our more refined reforestation and revegetation methods included adapted versions of:
- Medium Diversity Planting
- Tree Island Planting
- Successional Agroforestry
- Enrichment Planting
- Seedball Planting
Medium Diversity Planting. Before we start to plant trees, vines, shrubs, and groundcovers, we built, fortified and regularly repaired property fences. We additionally monitor the fences regularly. In our sites, fences eliminate damage from trespassing, vandalism, and fire hazards. Sometimes barangay environmental officials would help us enforce trespassing laws and anti-trash or agricultural burning practices (pagdaob ug kaingin) near our sites. We made sure neighbors respected the property line because, prior to Healing Present ownership, people regularly walked and harvested through the sites without permission. Early in our reforestation efforts we implemented a version of medium diversity plantation. We planted large saplings and small nursery seedlings of shrubs and trees.
Depending on the reforestation sites in Healing Present, we would plant 15 to 30 fast-growing tree species. Before we planted, we chose sites that had seed-dispersing animals like birds and bats. We made sure there were a few groups of mature palms or native shrubs and source of water. These conditions indicated our tree plantings would have higher chance of survival. Resident birds and bats also increase the ability for trees to naturally expand and form a forest structure. Some sites had a higher potential of regeneration because they were close to older intact forest patches. From the start of the reforestation until now, the sites are monitored. In the beginning project phases, we made sure they were well-watered, increasing in height, and producing wildlings. If they were slow to grow or the saplings died in drought periods, we would use enrichment planting or seedball planting to fill in open areas of the site. By 2018, many of these sites developed mature tree canopies, wildlings, seeds, fruits, and habitat for local wildlife. In future plantings’ we’ll add slower growing native and more native shade-tolerant species. Thankfully, these forest remnants continue to protect Healing Present residents from high winds and floodwaters during typhoon seasons.
Here’s a sample design and planting timeline showcasing the Medium Diversity Planting that may inspire your new planting project:
Before planting, the planting site is fenced and free of all fire hazards. As illustrated below, multiple 15 meter by 15 meter tree islands planted in a 75 meter by 75 meter site. By the first project year, 30% of the site is planted. Then, by the fifth year, 75% of the parcel is planted. Eventually the gaps between the islands of vegetation may fill up with plants from fallen tree seeds and seed disperser animals like birds. Choose at least thirty-five species of trees. They can include: Shorea species, Acacias, Casuarina species, Alstonia species, and Parkia species, locally native to Balamban are planted throughout the tree islands. Saplings are high quality and at least 1m tall and seedballs for native shrubs. Other species are fast-growing Legume trees that are tolerant of harsh sun and open sites, and variable soil.
Seedballs. Seedballs are a planting technique to fill in open sites or in gaps between sites with mature trees. Seedballs are small dry balls composed of soil, compost and seeds. They are distributed throughout an open area and germinate when the seeds are ready. In Healing Present, we throw the dried seedballs in open areas that need revegetation. Sometimes the seedballs have shade-tolerant plant seeds so they are thrown in forest gaps that need a thicker understory. Most of our seeds are collected from local forests, our own property, or from fruits or pods from friends in Cebu. We usually throw the seedballs during the rainy season or when the site soil has moisture. Worldwide, seedballs are either hand-thrown, lowered by drones, or dropped from helicopters to planting project sites.
Here is a recipe we use for seedballs. Other projects throughout Africa and Asia use a variation of this recipe.
Seedball Recipe
Materials
◉10 cups of native soil
◉5 cups of compost (e.g., vermicompost, leaf mulch or kitchen waste compost)
◉2 cups rain water
◉Plastic tub
◉Baking cooling tray with mesh holes
◉Optional: Silica gel packs and Large mesh net bag
Mix the soil and compost in the plastic tub. Add water to the mix. Form 3 to 7cm wide balls, depending on the size of the seed. Gently push the seed into the middle of the sphere. Sometimes we put 3 or more seeds if you want to increase the chance of seed germination. Close the ball so the seed is not exposed. Place the balls on a cooling tray with mesh holes.
Dry them for 2 hours or 24 hours, depending on the moisture of the balls. We dry them in indirect light with a fan or well-ventilated area. We don’t dry them in direct sunlight. We’re in a humid climate so I add silica gel packs around the seedballs to hasten the drying process. We put the tray of balls in a large mesh bag so they are protected from any insects who might disturb the seedballs.
When they are completely dry, distribute the balls. Throw them or drop them onto a planting site. No need to water or bury them. If you don’t want to use them right away, store them in a dry, cool, and dark place.
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Successional Agroforestry. Some reforestation plots in Healing Present have a mix of forest species we don’t touch and crop species we harvest. These plots are densely planted with 20 to 30 native species. The agroforest has native trees interplanted with perennial crop species like passionfruit vine, dragonfruit, legume groundcovers, leafy vegetables, fruit trees, and/or nut trees. In the mid 2000s, we phased out the edible perennial crops in a few of the agroforest sites. We planted container beds close to the staff houses instead. Currently there are still 2 main agroforest sites with a a combination of forest species we do not disturb and jackfruit, cacao, and coconut we occasionally harvest.
Here is a sample design for Successional Agroforestry:
This sample agroforest features varying plant heights, native species diversity, and moderate crop productivity. The native trees can be fast-growing legumes and native fig tree species. They are intercropped with moringa, jackfruit, and coconut. The crop shrubs could be varieties of hibiscus, taro, ginger, and leafy vegetables. After 5 years, the crops will no longer be grown in the agroforest. As a result, non-edible native trees, shrubs, and vines will dominate the area.
Lessons Learned. Through all our reforestation challenges, here are some lessons you might find useful in your personal or community planting.
- Learn to Adapt. More often than not, a tree planting project will lack the propagation material in the commercial nursery. Sometimes the species you intended to plant are not easily found in your local nurseries. Sometimes the stock you do find is low quality. Often, you might use fewer species than planted or using different species than planned. So be patient. Adapt your techniques and keep persisting. If the first two years of a project require species substitutions, make sure the substitutions can survive in your site and that they won’t become invasive. Or set up planting trials. Or grow them by seed and wait for them to develop in the nursery. Keep researching and interviewing local experts so you go back to the site and enrich it with the proper selection and variety of plants. Don’t abandon it and aim for your project targets.
- Secure the fence line. Please note the property relationships with neighbors may be different when you have a public reforestation project. I write from the perspective of private reforestation project management. I don’t live in a utopia where people don’t trespass and steal resources. Fences are necessary to protect your forest project. Congratulations to you if your project is respected and nobody vandalizes it. In the 3 continents I’ve initiated reforestation and gardening efforts, fences were necessary. They reduce neighbors using your water supply for their laundry washing. They stopped neighbors from illegally dumping agricultural chemicals on Healing Present’s sites. Fences keep forest stock and tools in tact. They reduce threats like human-initiated burning, plant damage, and plant extraction. In addition to fences, you may need regular security such as cameras, drones, flood lights, and/or employed guards to monitor and ensure people don’t trespass and damage the forest project.
Regularly assess the feasibility of your project during ongoing threats. If you face ongoing property damage or trespassing, after you’ve built fences and asked local enforcement for assistance, you may need to concede. If you have the resources you can continue to replace damaged property and fight the ongoing disturbances. Or you may want to find another site for your reforestation project.
- Project Monitoring. Monitoring and post-planting management ensure plant survival and natural forest regeneration. Your site may require monthly or yearly reviews of tree height, shrub diversity, tree diversity, rate survival, and reproduction of wildlings. Depending on the species and the developing forest structure, pruning, fertilizing, mulching and fence surveillance may be necessary. If your project goal is to ensure wildlife benefits from the forest, you may want to monitor the amount of wildlife individuals, the species richness, species diversity, and their behavior. You may need to regularly patrol property and perform yearly assessments of threats around your property. This requires you and and a team investigate any new sources of pollution, fire hazards, or natural disasters that are compromising the integrity of your project. Remember fire hazards can include neighbors burning trash, faulty electrical lines, and local arsonists.
From decades of using these techniques we have successfully planted healthy forest pockets. Currently, we are designing more reforestation projects with more tree-lined living fences, windbreaks, and diverse agroforest systems. We are also preparing for a Bat Corridor Enrichment planting project. I’ll describe more of these plants and designs later in the year. So keep reading to learn more. Visit previous articles or watch out for my upcoming book for specific species, technical drawings, and conceptual designs.
