Philippines 2022

PROJECT REPORT

PHILIPPINES 2022MT PINATUBO YOUTH-LED RESTORATION

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

Dear friend,

Thanks to your support, a total of 30,000 trees were planted to restore 80 hectares of land in the Philippines.

Planting trees in areas that have been degraded or deforested helps the environment by accelerating and assuring the re-establishment of healthy forests. Through reforestation, the canopy is restored, ecosystems are made whole, and biodiversity can thrive.

None of this would be possible without you. On behalf of everyone at One Tree Planted, thank you!

What follows is a report outlining the project you supported in the Philippines. I hope you enjoy reading it and truly feel the impact you have made.

OVERVIEW

The objective of the Philippines 2022 - Mt. Pinatubo Youth-led Restoration project was to restore an area affected by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, the second-largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century. By reforesting this area, this project strives to prevent future environmental degradation, rehabilitate damaged ecosystems, regenerate underground water systems, and promote nature-based climateadaptionandmitigation.

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YOUTHS INVOLVED

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TREE SPECIES PLANTED

Six native species were planted across 197 acres for this project: Narra (Pterocarpus indicus willd), Cashew (Anacardium occidentale), Sacking Tree (Ficus nota (Blanco) Merr), Palosapis (Anisoptera thurifera (Blanco) Blume), Tree Bean (Parkia javanica (Lam.) Merr),andLauan (Shorea contorta S. Vidal).

As mentioned in the overview, the area restored was severely affected by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991. While the volcano was erupting, the country was also hit by a typhoon, causing all the ash to blow towards the land. This caused the entire region to be covered in lahar, dramatically damaging the forest land and agricultureoftheAetatribeintheregion.Aftertheeruptioncleared,duetotheland being rendered unusable, it was further damaged by illegal logging. All this led to an estimated USD 440 million in damage to crops, infrastructure, and personal property.

The goal of this restoration work was to rebuild the area for the future. In order to do so, our on-ground partners planted three main forests: (1) a native tree forest, (2) a buffer zone forest, with fire proofing and charcoal friendly trees, and (3) a fruit and industry permaculture forest. These forests will come together to restore the land in a way that will allow nature to regrow fully on its own, all while sustainingthecommunitiesthatliveinsurroundingarea.

SPECIES

PLANTED THROUGH THIS PROJECT

Narra (Pterocarpus indicus willd)

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale)

Sacking Tree (Ficus nota (Blanco) Merr)

Palosapis (Anisoptera thurifera (Blanco) Blume)

Tree Bean (Parkia javanica (Lam.) Merr)

Lauan (Shorea contorta S. Vidal)

TREE SPECIES IDENTIFICATION & USE

Narra, scientific name Pterocarpus indicus willd, is a large, deciduous, reddishbrown, hardwood tree that is native to most Asian countries, occurring naturally from Burma to the western Pacific Islands. The national tree of the Philippines, Narra is a graceful tree with drooping branches that toss in the winds. With its rounded shape, this species reaches a maximum height of 100 feet, and possesses gray, fibrous yet smooth bark. Narra leaves are oval, green and alternatively arranged. This species flowers in Spring, producing clusters of showy, yellowandorangeflowers.

The Narra tree plays a vital role in ecosystems by contributing to soil stabilization, preventing erosion, and providing habitat for diverse flora and fauna. Because of its extensive, spreading, near-surface root system, it is often referred to as an enduringtreespecies,usedregularlyinreforestationprojectsintheregion.

Cashew, scientific name Anacardium occidentale, is a small tropical evergreen tree native originally to South America, that was distributed around the world in the 1500s. This tree is named for its characteristically curved edible seeds, which are commonly called cashew “nuts” — though they are not true nuts. The cashew apple, which is an accessory fruit, is about three times as large as the true fruit and is reddish or yellow. Cashew trees boast a dense, spreading canopy and grow up to 40 feet in height. It has a dense, stocky trunk and leaves that are simple and spirally arranged toward the end of stems. Each leaf is six to seven inches long andoblonginshape.

Similar to narra, cashew trees are excellent at stabilizing the soil and preventing erosion. They also improve air quality by sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Cashew trees are an important source of food and shelter for a varietyofwildlife,includingbirdsandinsects.

Likewise, the cashew apple is used locally in beverages, jams, and jellies — although most cultivation is directed toward production of the valuable seed crop. Cashew nuts are versatile, and are utilized in a wide range of dishes from sweet to savory. The nuts can also be eaten raw, roasted, or ground into a paste to be used as a base for sauces and spreads. Important to note: parts of the cashew must be handled with care as it is related to poison ivy and can cause an allergic reaction in somepeople.

YOUR IMPACT ON THE MAP

The Philippines 2022 - Mt. Pinatubo Youth-led Restoration project supported the planting of 30,000 native tree species across 80 hectares in the northwest Philippines. By reforesting these areas, this planting will bring about numerous benefits to the local community as they continue their recovery from the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption. Restoring these sites will allow for mitigation of further destruction caused by natural disasters such as landslides, flash floods, and the like, contributing to reducing global temperatures while also producing oxygen, sequesteringcarbon,andreducingairpollution.

DOCUMENTING YOUR IMPACT

Through authentic and informative storytelling, we help donors relate to the people who plant their trees and to the impact they're making for the planet. We share photos, videos, and updates from our global projects across our social media, website, and other media to create a personal connection to the incredible work happeningontheground.

PHOTOS FROM YOUR PROJECT

PHOTOS FROM YOUR PROJECT

For the Future started from a simple idea: If we could get everyone we knew to plant a tree, we’d witness a whole new forest in our lifetime. So in October 2019, we started sharing the work. Today, we are a group of young changemakers who are managing projects from reforestation to typhoon relief, using the same roots that we've grown with. We know that our stories hold power, and a brighter future ahead once we share them.

Throughout our journey, we learned one amazing thing: that you don't need to be anyone else to be able to change the world. Our team members all come from different roots but are committed to the same goal: making helping accessible, so anyone can easily support and empower our partner communities.

This is a goal which would not have been possible without the help of everyone who believed in the same things and supported us along the way. So we would like to give thanks and show our appreciation. Thank you to all of our donors, partners, volunteers, supporters, friends, families, and especially communities who have joined us on our journey. We have learned and gained so much from all of you, and hope that in some way, we are able to be there for you on your own journeys of change making. You have the power to create change, so let us continue to share our stories, create new dreams, and work together for a better tomorrow. For the future.

INDIGENOUS INVOLVEMENT

This project collaborated with indigenous groups located in two Sitios (Villages) in the region. Yangil - a community of around 50 families, and Banawen - a community of around 75 families. This collaboration included working with the tribes to give them accessto job opportunities, disaster mitigation, and businessdevelopment.

Because the region is very susceptible to floods, landslides, and the like, restoring the forests and planting trees with deep roots will help reduce damage, safeguarding the livelihoods of the community. In the initial stages of the project, community members were provided with a salary for growing seedlings, preparing theland, planting thetrees, and maintaining theland.

Our planting partner’s long-term goal for the tribe is to reach a stage where they are sustainable enough to plant and restore their land on their own. This is being implemented by working with them through a business development program. For this, our partners will be putting up a demo farm and coop with the community, which will be used to create jobs, host seminars and workshops, provide supplies and capital for farmers, connect farmers to processors, suppliers, and buyers, and introduce new technologies and practices to the community. It will also include internship and scholarship programs for the youth, with the goal of turning over full operationsof thisto thecommunity oncethescholarsgraduateand cantakelead.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ENGAGED 2 104

INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES ENGAGED

COMMUNITY BENEFITS

The local community also benefited from increased representation of women in the restoration space, as well as trainings provided on water filtration and climaterelatedartandphotography.

Our planting partner’s organization is made up of mostly women, who handle onthe-ground operations, design and branding of the initiative, communications, and more. In addition, the team ensured they worked with at least one man and one woman per family for seedling growth, planting, and maintenance. By purposefully engaging women in this restoration, not only are the aforementioned women empowered, but encouragement is given to young girls in the surrounding communities, who will be more likely to take on leadership roles and contribute in awaythatimpactstheirlivesandthelivesofthosearoundthem.

Furthermore, part of this project involved providing trainings to local youth. One of these trainings was a Climate Art Workshop, which was given through two sessions in Yangil: a film photography workshop and an art workshop. This workshop series, "Stories from the Frontlines," aimed to equip a whole new generation of young frontline and indigenous storytellers to share the stories of their islands and climate through art and photography. The results of these workshopscanbeseenhere.

A second workshop educated the tribe on the installation, usage, and maintenance ofthewaterfiltrationsystemsusedintheirvillage.

U.N. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

THIS PROJECT CONTRIBUTED TO THE FOLLOWING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS:

WHAT ARE SDGS?

Sustainable development entails seeking out solutions that not only boost the economic outcomes of developing and poorer nations, but also work to limit (or eliminate)ourimpactontheplanet.Treesareonesuchsolution.

From creating jobs and reducing hunger to improving gender equality, cleaning air and water, absorbing carbon, protecting life on land and water, and more, planting trees can address all 17 sustainable development goals.

“The impacts of this project are two-fold. Your contribution empowers youth groups to lead critical restoration projects in one of the most biodiverse yet threatened landscapes in the world, strengthening local leadership now and into the future. Further, your contribution supports some of the most vulnerable indigenous communities globally to restore their ancestral domain and protect traditions and cultures continued since timeimmemorial.”

KM Reyes Project Manager Asia Pacific

Meghan Danny Global Projects Support Specialist