Plant Trees to Restore PreyLang Wildlife Sanctuary

In 2020, Peace Bridges looks forward to expanding its support to more Prey Lang communities who are active in patroling and advocating for the forest. Since 2014, Peace Bridges has been partnering with The Prey Lang Community Network (PLCN). This year, we will help the Prey Preah Roka Forest Community Network (PPRFCN) to mainstream nonviolence and conflict-sensitive approaches to their protection and advocacy efforts in Prey Preah Roka, a protected community forest in the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary.

To kickstart this collaboration, Peace Bridges staff participated in the tree blessing ceremony organized by PPRFCN in Prey Preah Roka on January 10-11.

At this ceremony, people remembered the ones who have sacrificed their lives to protect the forest. Monks chanted and shared from Buddhist religious texts relevant to protecting the environment. Then the monks blessed 1,000 trees to protect them from loggers.

PPRFCN member Choem Chien told The Phnom Penh Post, “Now the big trees have already been cut down but we are afraid that the perpetrators will come to grab land for farming, so we have to protect the small trees.”

The ceremony was followed by a dialogue between local authorities and the communities about their common interest in protecting Prey Lang. Nop Sokha, a Peace Bridges staff, spoke to the group about the importance of the forest and to encourage them in their efforts.

Links:

• https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/monks-bless-trees-prey-preah-roka-forest?fbclid=IwAR2wXPx2iHyf3fzEIdcKhEUoUi81ksz29hIVxRd

It's not enough to plant trees. We must watch them while they are small, give them water, and keep away threats. Because of this, it's imperative that communities are involved and committed to caring for saplings after they've been planted. 

Over the last few months, we have planted trees with two different groups, one in Preah Vihear province and one in Kampong Thom province. At both sites there are people who are excited to protect and nurture the saplings until they grow tall and beyond.

On September 3rd, we provided 700 saplings at the request of one Prey Lang Community Network (PLCN) member. We planted them at a school in cooperation with local authorities, peacebuilders, and the teachers and principles at the school in Thmir village (Preah Vihear province). The school staff and students will care for the trees as they grow.

On September 7th, we collaborated with the Jesuit Service Cambodia (JSC) and forest activists from the PLCN to plant 1200 saplings at Sre Chang village (Kampong Thom province). The trees were planted close to the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary and will be guarded by members of the PLCN.