The property developer strengthening Bangkok’s roots
A new project by a local company aims to breathe new life into the capital’s tree population, writes Supoj Wancharoen
Tree conservation in cities is becoming a trend. Started by tree-hugging conservationists decades ago, the ideology has now been adopted by companies keen to embrace tree conservation as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes.
One sector that has been quick to jump on the bandwagon is real estate.
“The Forestias” is a CSR programme created by Magnolia Quality Development Corporation Limited (MQDC), one of the Bangkok’s major property developers.
Most Thai real estate developers have increasingly invested in tree conservation in their projects. However, this is the first example of a company offering a tree nursery service to the public.
The Forestias campaign was created to help protect large trees in the city, many of which have been uprooted due to road widening, building construction and pollution associated with poor management of the city’s public utilities.
“In some areas, those large trees are withering and dying simply because they are left without proper care,” said Sasinan Allmand, MQDC’s executive vice president of corporate marketing and communications.
Under the scheme, a plot of
3 rai out of 300 will be set aside for urban tree conservation on a major residential construction project on Bang Na-Trat Road.
The Forestias will provide an arboriculture service — or tree maintenance and nursery for the public free of charge.
A team of workers dubbed as a “Forest Rescue Team”, trained in arboriculture, has been assigned to do the work.
Those who wish to take advantage of this service are being encouraged to send their requests to the team.
“With the consent of the owner, trees will be moved into the project’s nursing area in Bang Na,” said Ms Sasinan.
“The situation of decreasing forest areas is alarming,” she said.
According to the Thailand loses 0.02% of forest land, or 65,000 rai of forest annually. That amounts to a forest area as large as 44 football fields every day.
The company is also aware of the importance of protecting the natural ecosystem. “The 3 rai in Bang Na contains green space and a natural water resource suitable for preserving trees in the city,” she said.
Members of the Forest Rescue Team will visit trees in need of special nursing to assess the situation and find out who the owner is, said Surin Warachun, an ecological expert working for The Forestias.
After getting permission from the tree owner, the team will then determine if it can be nursed to health where it is or if it will have to be moved into the project’s nursing facility, he said.
“Of course, we have to ask the tree’s owner first if he or she will agree to our proposal to move the tree to the nursing facility — a service that won’t cost the owner a single baht,” he said, adding that if the demand for the service grows beyond the current 3-rai capacity, more space will be added.
“So, if you find any trees left in a sorry state, don’t worry how much space we have, please contact us,” he said.
The first tree moved into the nursing facility at its owner’s request was a 20-yearold pink trumpet ( Tabebuia rosea).
The owner wanted the tree moved out of his home temporarily during a renovation of his house.
The second tree moved into the project’s facility was a 27-year-old rain tree ( Samanea saman) from a house in Soi Lat Phrao 110 whose owner said it annoyed his neighbours.
The third was a mango tree from a house in Soi Lat Phrao 71.
Mr S ur in believes that it’ s common knowledge that green areas in Bangkok are dwindling, especially with more and more people now living in condominiums or apartments.
That has a negative impact on the ecosystem, he said, urging those who still live in houses with sufficient space to consider growing some trees, which should be a type with cavities that animals such as birds and squirrels can live in.
The species of trees recommended for growing in the city include the sacred fig, weeping fig, red sandalwood, ebony, monkeypod and copper pod.
Mr Surin said he adheres to a theory by Akira Miyawaki, a Japanese botanist and expert in plant ecology.
The theory has proved effective in regrowing more than 1,500 forests around the world, he said.
“From my experience, the Akira theory helps speed up the growth of trees. For example, a tree that normally takes 10 years to grow is grown in only six years when the theory is applied,” he said.
If the tree nursing project proves successful, it will continue as long as there is demand, said Vasanai Pakapongpan, vice president for marketing and communications of MQDC.
An evaluation of the project will be conducted at the end of this year, he said, adding that at this stage, 70 million baht has been set aside in funding and he expects to see somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 trees rescued.
“We don’t actually want this project to be called a campaign as we want everyone to view this as a social collaboration to help improve the environment; a matter that should concern everyone,” he said.
For those who wish to use the arboriculture service or provide information on trees that need rescuing, The Forestias can be contacted via their Facebook page www. facebook.com/theforestias or by posting using the hashtag #ForestRescue.