Source: healthinharmony.org
Published: April 25, 2016
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As Indonesia’s forests vanish from logging and fires, the future of our planet continues to hang in the balance. Reforestation can go a long way to solve this problem.
Reforestation, however, is not just a matter of planting trees. When you learn about the challenges in research and monitoring, and what can be done to save the forests of Indonesia, you’ll see why we need your help now.
Seedling Care
Millions of seedlings need to be planted to bring back the forests in Indonesia. This job takes a lot of time and work to do. People are needed to plant seedlings in deserted areas.
Planting trees isn’t the most difficult part of reforestation; it’s keeping them alive that is hard.
Reforestation is needed because people cut down the trees or set them on fire to clear the areas. It’s crucial that we work to build awareness of the effects these practices have on the overall health of the local environment. The only way to ensure trees make it to maturity is to make sure they are taken care of by people who want to save the planet.
Fire Prevention
Forest fires are a yearly problem due to slash-and-burn land clearing. Reforestation sites are vulnerable to farmers and palm oil plantations as well, which is why we’ve developed a fire prevention and mitigation plan.
The fire prevention and mitigation plan involves having ASRI workers monitor reforestation sites for fires and dig firebreaks if a fire starts. If that doesn’t keep the fire from destroying the forest, workers spray water with pesticide sprayers on the fire for hours until it is controlled.
While it may be impossible to stop a fire from starting, it is possible to keep it from destroying an entire reforestation project, as long as there are people available to take action. Additional teams are needed now to keep more forests from being destroyed.
Involve the Community
Community involvement is crucial. Reforestation cannot succeed without the help of people who want to dedicate their lives to tropical rain forest conservation.
Communities around reforestation sites must unite to plant seedlings, ensure there is enough water, and protect them from environmental hazards until they don’t need as much care. With millions of hectares of land available in Indonesia for reforestation, the work in planting and nurturing trees is plentiful.
Fire prevention is another activity needing community involvement. Reforestation sites need 24/7 monitoring and a team of workers to dig the firebreaks in case of a fire.
Health in Harmony cannot do this alone. We need everyone’s help.
Donate to Health in Harmony
It is crucial to invest in tropical rain forest conservation. It is the only way to combat climate change and save lives. If something is not done now, all of the forests in Indonesia will be gone causing serious ecological damage around the world.
Health in Harmony works hard to save the Indonesian forests and build back the ones already lost. You can help us with our reforestation efforts with your donation. Our initiatives involve buying supplies that are often financially out of reach while also supporting people to do the work of planting, maintenance, evaluation, and fire protection. We cannot do it without your help.