Reforestation completed

10 years Samboja Lestari - Thank you for your support!

A large number of donors have helped to reforest Samboja Lestari. Ten years ago the area was still predominantly overgrown with the nutrient-poor, all dominating, alang-alang grass (Imperata cylindrica) With the new trees, the micro climate, soil structure and water balance have improved significantly. The newly formed layer of vegetation can store water more efficiently, making it available in the dry season and reducing the risk of flooding during the rainy season.

The biodiversity has also increased once more. Among the trees planted were included species which had died out in the wild. Observations show also that more and more species of animals are colonizing the area again. Through reforestation a state was reached over a period of ten years, which would have taken decades to develop on its own.

The tree planting in Samboja Lestari is now practically complete. Nearly 1,200 acres have been planted with over half a million trees and over 750 species, 413 hectares will be left to natural development. The school is comprised of 75 hectares of forest and the arboretum is 18 hectares. Then there is the sun bear enclosure and the orangutan islands, each with 58 and 7 acres. In Samboja Lestari degraded land could be successfully restored to its natural state. Nevertheless, the protection of virgin rainforests comes first and foremost! Reforestation is time-consuming, expensive and labour-consuming and can never replace the value of a million years old, original forest. That's why it is important for BOS Foundation to acquire conservation concessions for intact rain forest areas from the Indonesian government and to facilitate their preservation, since it is only in extensive, original or very natural forests that orangutans can successfully reproduce and survive.