6 Semptember 2005
Merial And The Environment: Rainforestation Anyone?

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Merial Philippines culminated its Mid-Year Conference last July with a tree planting activity at one of the rainforestation projects of the Haribon Foundation. On the last day of the conference in Antipolo, the team took a 1½ hour car ride and then trudged up the mountainside for more than an hour to reach the project site in Barangay Laiban, Tanay, Rizal.

A forest is more than just a collection of trees. It is an ecosystem. Planting just any type of tree species, particularly fast growing exotic varieties, could displace native species, change soil characteristics and upset the delicate ecological balance. Thus, reforestation in this manner may create more problems than solutions.

Rainforestation, on the other hand, is the planting of tree species native to a particular forest. Native trees are more adaptive to the forest being restored and would have greater chances of survival. They would also ensure the flourishing of other native plants and animals. The rainforestation farming technology espoused by Haribon ensures ecological and economic benefits and recognizes local people’s participation in all stages of forest management as a key to the success in forest rehabilitation.

Working side by side with local residents, made the activity even more meaningful. It was hard work under the hot sun but all the team members promised to come back after the rainy season to weed the area and check on the condition of the seedlings we planted. At the end of the day, we went home tired but proud that we had been able to do something significant to help our environment.