Affiliated Project - This projects is supported by the Malaysian subsidiary of L'OCCITANE en Provence.
Context
According to the Malaysian Timber Council in 2017, Malaysia has a total forest area of 18.27 million hectares, which is more than half of the country's total area. It is divided between Sarawak with 8.03 million hectares, Peninsular Malaysia with 5.80 million hectares and Sabah with 4.44 million hectares. The characteristic vegetation of Malaysia is dense evergreen rainforest. Rainforest still covers more than two-fifths of the peninsula and some two-thirds of Sarawak and Sabah. The flora of the Malaysian rainforest is among the richest in the world. There are several thousand species of vascular plants, including more than 2,000 species of trees.
But, much of the original rainforest has been destroyed by clearances made for agricultural or commercial purposes, by severe wind and lightning storms, and by indigenous peoples clearing it for shifting cultivation. When such cleared land is subsequently abandoned, coarse grassland, scrub, and secondary forest often develop.
Also, community development and socio-economic improvement programs through capacity-building and knowledge-sharing activities aim to reinforce conservation objectives by encouraging community-based forest management. The aim is to encourage the preservation and support of biodiversity at community level.
Project supported
During two years, in 2024-2026, the Malaysian subsidiary of L'OCCITANE en Provence is supporting the Free Tree Society in Kuala Lumpur.
As part of the Perak Sustainable Development Programme, the Free Tree Society is working with the Perak State Forestry Department and local stakeholders (Temiar indigenous community and agencies) to support replanting on the degraded site, which may have previously suffered from commercial logging as well as encroachment of non-native species on smallholdings planted by the local community. The project consists of two parts: the Arboretum, which catalogues the endemic flora and the Rainforest Centre, which supports conservation activities and new research on the site's mega-diverse fauna.
The aim is to re-establish the emergent layers and canopy with 36 of these species, representing 50% of the species selected for planting. There will also be the planting of 16 rare native fruit tree species to support the social forestry component of this project.
Free Tree Society aims to restore 5 hectares of degraded forest while integrating social forestry and community development activities (field staff, nature guides and women-led micro-nursery programs to promote socio-ecological resilience). The project aims to raise awareness among the local community about the economic and environmental benefits of protecting this wildlife while restoring its biodiversity.
Some Figures
Budget 10,000 euros
Goal 5 hectares regenerated
Goal 1,750 planted trees
credit : Free Tree Society website/facebook
