Conserve Natural Forests

CNF partners with communities, villages, government organizations, and NGOs to initiate tree plantings across the town of Pai and beyond. In just 2021, our incredible team was able to plant over 200,000 trees in Pai District, with plans to increase that number every year. We utilize the Australian Framework Species Model, an accelerated forest restoration strategy that involves planting a mixture of 20-30 species of certain functional traits to promote vertically and horizontally complex, self-regulating, healthy regeneration. Depending on the site, we plant a mixture of pioneer and late-successional species that capture a sufficient fraction of target biodiversity to stratify the forest structure and provide multiple ecological niches for seed dispersers from nearby forests and promote species recruitment. 

The youth of today and tomorrow will carry the torch to a sustainable future – and bear the costs if we do not act. We run daily educational programs and organize field trips for local schoolchildren to help them understand the importance of sustainability and our connection to nature in appropriate terms. We also directly support several local schools by donating supplies, food, and teaching English.

But learning is not just for kids! CNF donates a significant amount of our seedlings to locals free of charge, and more importantly, we work with them to understand the utility of each species and how it might suit their needs. We are also working to develop workshops at our tree nursery and restoration sites to help local landowners understand the potential value of multi-purpose trees and other agricultural best management practices. These dialogues are not one-way, but they also help us understand the history, culture, and priorities of our community and how we can best serve them.