Photo Essay: Mangrove trees forever

       Mangrove conservationists in Camarines Sur descended on the shore of a coastal   
       baranggay to plant mangrove seedlings.

PLANTING mangrove trees is always fun … 

Sometime ago, a community of Bicolanos in Camarines Sur busy transplanting seedlings at a deforested mangrove area in the province, spearheaded by provincial governor Luis Raymund Villafuerte. 

The mangrove replanting program is part of the province’s El Verde Movement (EVM) which aims to grow 12 million trees until this year. 

The municipality of Jose Panganiban in Camarines Norte could initiate similar program to rehabilitate its many mangrove areas, known locally as "pakatan', which has been hard hit by charcoal-makers and firewood-gatherers, particularly in Baranggays Sta Elena and Pag-asa. 

It's one initiative that town Mayor Ricarte Padilla could undertake to rehabilitate the municipality's mangrove forests in a number of its coastal baranggays namely Pag-Asa, Dayhagan, Parang, Nakalaya, Santa Elena, Sparline and Calero.

 

Mangrove areas are vital breeding places for marine life, such as fish, crabs and shrimps. – Text by AP HERNANDEZ/pictures courtesy of VisualLifeBox

        Looks like it's a muddy job ... but the benefits years from now would be tremendous

        Volunteer mangrove tree planters at work.

        What's a day of labor in the mud compared to a spectacle of lush, green marine forests 
        in the future, populated by healthy mangrove trees? Our favorite crabs, prawn,     
        shrimps and fish would have a field day!