Kampot provincial authority and NatureLife Cambodia have collaboratively planted nearly 5,000 diverse tree species in the Anlung Pring Protected Landscape.

The initiative aims to expand green cover and provide additional foliage for the safeguarded avian species within the wetland.

Around 800 saplings of luxury trees—Kranhung, Beng, Koki, Chak Kiri, Loeung Reach, Sakura, Neang Nuon—alongside 4,000 palm seeds, were planted at the reserve’s roadside, according to the Kampot Provincial Department of Environment. The nature reserve, situated in the Kampong Trach district, encompasses a lowland region that borders Vietnam.

Eng Polo, the provincial environment department director, extended thanks to attendees and officials participating in the plantation event. The area is a haven for endangered cranes and various other species.

Polo highlighted the significance of tree planting in combatting climate change, asserting its benefits in not only sustaining the existing avian population but also attracting more birds and visitors, thereby boosting the local economy.

NatureLife Cambodia’s country director, Bou Vorsak, said on August 27 that the decision to cultivate new seedlings emerged as a response to the expansion of the roadway system, necessitating the removal of numerous trees along its path. The absence of replanting could jeopardise bird habitats as people traverse the area.

Regarding palm sapling planting, Vorsak attributed the initiative to Kampot authorities, urging local officials to cultivate similar trees along the Cambodian-Vietnamese border. This move, apart from preserving the Khmer identity, upholds the Kingdom’s unique attributes.

Vorsak extended appreciation to authorities, NGOs, and private sectors for their collective involvement in this tree planting endeavour, poised to ensure a thriving avian presence in the region’s future.