Guwahati, June 15: A drive to plant a dense forest of 2,000 native trees using the Miyawaki method was launched in Assam’s Majuli district on Monday to help restore critical wildlife habitats and strengthen ecological resilience.
The plantation initiative is being undertaken by Woolah Tea, known for its patented bagless tea dips, in partnership with the Balipara Foundation, which works in the areas of ecological restoration, community-based conservation and sustainable development.
“This is Phase 1 of our 10,000 trees project as part of our stance against global hyper-consumption and our commitment to climate action,”Woolah Tea founder Upamanyu Borkakoty said.
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The drive is being carried out at Dhapk Gaon in Majuli and has been timed with the peak plantation season to ensure favourable soil conditions and higher survival rates of saplings, he said.
Borkakoty said Majuli, a globally recognised key biodiversity area and important bird area, has been facing severe native canopy loss due to erosion and human activities, affecting wildlife habitats.
“By executing Phase 1 of the project in Majuli, Woolah is focusing its resources where the climate crisis is hitting hardest. The river island is currently facing severe native canopy loss due to intense erosion and human footprint. This degradation has threatened regional wildlife, including endangered vulture species and local Hog deer populations, of vital nesting, roosting and shelter corridors,”Borkakoty maintained.
The Miyawaki method is an afforestation technique developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. It involves planting native tree and shrub species densely together to create highly biodiverse, multi-layered “pocket forests.” These forests grow up to 10 times faster and are 30 times denser than conventional plantations.
“By planting 20 distinct indigenous species, including local canopy and fruit-bearing trees — at close 3ft x 3ft intervals across a 0.25-hectare plot — the project forces rapid, multi-layered growth. This creates a self-sustaining, dense biosphere that accelerates canopy formation, maximises niche utilisation and drives rapid carbon sequestration to actively fight the climate crisis,” the Woolah founder said.
Describing the initiative as the beginning of a long-term restoration effort, Borkakoty said the project would include community-led protection measures, monitoring and gap-filling over the next year to maximise survival rates and support future phases of the 10,000-tree programme. (PTI)
