Reviving the forest on the island of Flores
Helping the inhabitants of the island of Flores to protect their forest and to better live with it.
Living with the trees
When the forest goes up in smoke...
If you were to fly over the island of Flores, you would see incredible wooded areas. But at certain times of the year, you would probably also see fires, devouring the vegetation. Every year, to be replaced by rice cultivation or to facilitate hunting, the forest loses ground.
Can its disappearance be avoided ? Sure thing, Coeur de Forêt will tell you! The association has decided to reverse the fate of the forest and to allow the inhabitants of the island to find new reasons to live in harmony with it.
10 000 new trees
Klorane Botanical Foundation joins forces with Coeur de Forêt, to support the reforestation of plots of land and the creation of new productions. The first aim is to replant trees. And not just a few. We are talking several thousand trees in three years, following the principles of agroforestry. This technique makes it possible to associate many varieties of plants, including trees, which contribute to each other’s balance and promote the stability of the ecosystem.
So where to plant them ? The most strategic location is definitely near water sources, in order to protect them. Indeed, preserving water is an equally important priority for biodiversity and the maintenance of ecosystems, and since trees have this ability to protect water, it is all the more beneficial to think of reforestation in this light as well.
New income opportunities with sustainable Galanga cultures
One of the keys to sustaining the forest over time is to make a living from it. From the moment one lives off it, they are then called upon to make it grow and prosper rather than to clear it to make room for other activities. Hence a key step in the programme: to study the development of a new activity chain, through the cultivation of Alpinia Galanga.
With the sustainable production and use of this resource, which is still unexploited on the island, a whole new economic activity becomes possible. And with it, new incomes, but also new perspectives for the new generations who will be able to find greater possibilities to stay on the island, without having to leave it.
Focus on l'Alpinia galanga
Indonesia is known for its wide range of spices: peppers, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, etc. This large family of plants (the Zingiberaceae) includes a wide variety of species with aromatic rhizomes, including that of Galanga (Alpinia galanga). The rhizome has both culinary uses (to flavour meat or fish dishes) and medicinal uses (tonic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial).
Onboarding kids
Workshops for the youngest
The future of the island will also depend on the path those who are children today choose for tomorrow. So what could be more beautiful than to give them a taste for protecting biodiversity? The programme on the island of Flores gives 80 pupils the opportunity to take part in workshops organised by the Puge Figo association, the local branch of Coeur de Forêt.
Preserving the knowledge of the forest
By moving away from their forest, the new generations has also lost its precious knowledge, namely local traditions and botanical secrets for medical care and well-being. By recreating the link, our hope to protect these wealths is renewed.
Partners on the subject
