Rainforest Restoration Project Think global. Plant local. Home to thousands of species, rainforests are Earth’s oldest living ecosystems, with some surviving in their present form for at least 70 million years. They are the ‘lungs’ of our planet, storing carbon and releasing oxygen, but they are under threat and shrinking. To help protect this vital biosphere, critical to human survival, since 2004, UWCSEA’s Rainforest Restoration Project (RRP) has raised hundreds of rainforest tree seedlings, many critically endangered. And for many years the College has worked closely with Singapore’s NParks; learning from each other, conducting seminars and more recently, working on Singapore’s Million Trees Initiative. Due to COVID restrictions, students couldn’t get out into nature and plant in Singapore. Still, they were delighted to support Singapore’s Million Trees initiative. They donated 20 saplings of the Hopea ferrea, Hopea helferi, and Parkia specios that had hardened off and were ready for planting. This was an inspiring opportunity for the students to have their saplings planted into tropical rainforests, where they will thrive for years to come. In addition, with the support of NParks, students were assigned a section of Singapore’s new Green Rail Corridor to manage. This green trail is home to many species, including hornbills, the endangered rafflebanded langur and the Sunda pangolin. Students were tasked with weeding and removing invasive species that can inhibit sapling growth. As part of their work, students also conducted surveys collecting data on biodiversity and the health of the existing trees.
1,050
seedlings and saplings in the RRP nurseries
12 new species introduced into the RRP nurseries in 2020/2021, including
4 that are locally threatened or endangered
