Grow 30,000 trees to restore India's cloud forest

The top soil in the Khasi Hills is very shallow and lacking in nutrients. A natural way to condition and fertilize soil is to add compost to the vital humus layer. It may be surprising but the foundation to a healthier cloud forest is laid by worms and kitchen scraps.

Worms are the ultimate recyclers. They eat the compost ingredients, pass them through their body, absorb a small amount of nutrients and discharge the rest of the materials as broken down organic matter. Vermicompost takes very little maintenance and, with the right conditions, worms can turn kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich compost in approximately 60 days.

In July, the project management team of the Khasi Hills forest restoration project collected 2,000 vermicompost worms from the Rural Resource Training Centre in the Umran of Ri Bhoi District. Once the worms are multiplied, they will be distributed to women Self-Help Groups. Vermicompost will improve the quality of soil in their tree nurseries and vegetable gardens, impacting positively not only tree planting activities but also livelihoods of the Self-Help Group members.

Another important contribution to Self-Help Group members’ livelihoods is income diversification. The project management team distributed to members saplings of peach trees at a discounted price. With one basket of peaches worth 300 INR, nearly an equivalent of one day’s wage, the sale of peaches will provide the members with a valuable source of additional income.

Your support is key to operate our Hima Mawbeh nursery

GlobalGiving supports the restoration of the WeForest proejct in the  East Khasi Hills, India. All your trees are growing around Mawbeh, Meghalaya province. This Hima  is one of 10 indigenous regional governments which includes 62 villages in total. 

2 methods are used

The restoration method we chose in these project sites is called Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR), which includes weeding, thinning and carefully cutting of trees to create fire lines and facilitate the growth of existing trees. Besides ANR, our method also includes growing trees in nurseries  to fill forest gaps.

Small is beautiful

Tanbor and his wife are running one of the smallest nurseries in the area. Small (2,400 trees per annum) yet important, since his particular nursery is a model for the other ones. Active for already 3 years, their nursery is currently expanding. He grows 4 different species of trees and searches for the Exbluckandia Populnea, Shima Khasiana, Khasi Pine and cherry seeds in the nearby forest. Once they grow in the nursery for 1 year, the trees are planted in the nearby degraded areas. The optimal time for the planting is the beginning of the rainy season in May. Some of the 62 youth volunteers support them in planting this year.

Water and compost for healthy saplings

Access to water and compost is important for the survival of the trees. Although part of the Khasi Hills belongs to the rainiest places in the world, the area is prone to drought and forest fires in summer time. A lack of irrigation can therefore have an adverse effect for the growth of the trees. In this nursery, cow dung is used to fertilize the trees and the nearby creek provides enough water for the saplings.

Every additional income helps

The local project association, the Ka Synjuk Ki Hima Arliang Wah Umiam Mawphlang Welfare Society (KSKHAWUMWS) buys the trees for 3 rupees from this nursery. Tanbor and his wife earn an average of 7,200 rupees (110 USD) annually through the sale.