RSPN has planted trees on 42 hectares in six dzongkhags to help restore severely endangered white-bellied heron’s degraded habitats. In the Punatsangchhu and Mangdechhu basins, RSPN has restored 12.5 hectares a year in partnership with private landowners and Green Bhutan. This year is when the remaining plantation is expected to be finished. According to Tshering Tobgay, Research Officer at RSPN, the project’s main objective is to reforest commercial plantations on inappropriate private land and degraded community forests. Among the native species found on the plantation are teak, duabanga, jackfruit, jarul, amla, ghamari, mango, leucaena, bamboo, and pine trees. In addition to restoring the land, this strategy cultivates an ecosystem that supports wildlife and endangered species.
The ESRAM study data collection method, which creates a baseline for ecosystem-based adaptation planning, was used in the project to identify degraded areas for restoration. With the help of valuable commercial and fruiting trees that have both ecological and financial advantages, the project seeks to raise the standard of living in communities close to heron habitats. Teak and agarwood have been planted on two acres of the Devithang Community Forest in Sunkosh Chiwog, Tsirang, with 28 community members. The community reinvests in high-value species and sells mature trees to contractors. A power tiller for farming, an eco-campsite, and a fish pond for heron feeding are some of the extra assistance that RSPN has given to communities.
