Plant a Rainforest in Southeast Asia

“Despite the difficult work, seeing trees grow makes me happy,” declared Sao, a shy 24-year-old woman who has been working at Wildlife Alliance’s Tropical Reforestation Project in Chi Phat since its inception in 2008. Over the years, Sao has dedicated her life to reconnecting fragmented forests in the Southern Cardamom Mountain Range. She knows the painstaking process that goes into the planting and nurturing of a seed into maturity. She understands from first-hand experience that it is not enough to just plant a seed. A great deal of work and care is required for each seedling to survive, and once planted, must be continually maintained and protected. It pains her to see the prolific illegal logging that plagues the region, “I’ve been working at the project for over five years now, and I have come to thoroughly understand what it really takes to bring back trees lost to deforestation.”

Sao says she feels lucky to be working at Wildlife Alliance’s Reforestation Project. She cares deeply about her work, and has helped grow and maintain over 733,000 trees on 1,811 acres of reforested land. She believes that work at the Project has completely changed the course of her life. With no education, and as a young, unmarried woman in rural Cambodia, Sao had very few opportunities available to her. However, her steady income has lifted her out of poverty and is helping her realize her dream of one day opening a small grocery store in Chi Phat. Her life changed even more drastically in 2011 when she married her friend and coworker Vuthu. The couple plans to build a house together in Chi Phat and start a family soon.

Wildlife Alliance’s Tropical Reforestation Project in the Southern Cardamom Mountains employs 114 community members, providing them with a steady income and an alternative to slash-and-burn farming. Help us continue to not only restore the Southern Cardamom Mountains, but also make a difference in the lives of community members like Sao by making a gift today!