It’s time for our January update on Ecologi’s sustainability projects. We’re proud of our work with Ecologi, and, as you might already know, they help us to plant a tree for every purchase of our cat litter—that’s 47,075 trees at the time of writing! But that’s not all they do. This month, we’re taking a look at their forest protection projects, because Ecologi don’t just plant new trees, they also help to look after the planet’s existing forests.
Tropical deforestation and the degradation of forests already accounts for a substantial percentage of human-caused emissions, and this figure is likely to continue to grow in the coming decades without drastic action being taken.
Reforestation (planting new forests) is one effective method of combating climate change and restoring habitats and ecosystems, which is why Ecologi is actively planting new trees to create new forests. But protecting existing areas of forest is also of vital importance, so Ecologi is involved with projects that preserve these forests, as well as helping to develop new ones.
What are primary forests?
More than a third of the world’s forests are primary forests. These primary forests, which are also known as old-growth forests, are naturally generated forests full of native species trees which haven’t experienced human interference. They’re dense, wild, and of incredible ecological importance. Rainforests like the Amazon, Congo and Great Bear rainforests are all primary forests.
These mature primary forests have been accumulating and storing carbon over decades and centuries. And it’s not just about carbon: many species of trees are unique to primary forests, meaning they won’t be found elsewhere or in newly-planted forests. They’re also home to a whole host of wildlife, including endangered species. So protecting primary forests means protecting both wildlife and the planet—which is why it’s doubly important!
Primary forests, with their massive stores of carbon and amazing varieties of flora and fauna, are all at constant risk of continuing deforestation. So you can see that while planting new trees has its benefits, nothing is more effective than protecting the forests we already have—and all the wildlife that calls them home. As Ecologi says, “prevention is better than cure.”
What are Ecologi doing to help?
As part of the UN’s REDD+ scheme (Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Degredation), Ecologi has supported a whole range of forest protection programmes with the aim to preserve forest areas of huge ecological importance.
- Supporting not just one but two different programmes to preserve and protect the Amazon rainforest in Brazil
- Preserving and restoring forest along the Pacific Coast of Columbia
- Preserving the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor in Guatemala
- Protecting the Amazon rainforest in Peru
These programmes not only help to protect and preserve the rainforest, but also to save endangered species living within them, and to support the communities of local people. To find out more about each of these forest protection projects, check out Ecologi’s article here.
This is just the first of our Ecologi updates for 2022, and we’re excited to see the projects and programmes that Ecologi will be supporting throughout the coming year!
25/01/2022 by NatuTeam