MILLION TREES & MESSAGES

MANGROVE FORESTS

Mangrove Forests

Mangroves, are the only tree species in the world that can live in saltwater, so together they form one of the most important Forest and eco-systems in the world. There are more than 50 different types of Mangroves, which live on the edge of salty water coastlines.

Mangrove forests grow in intertidal zones and estuary mouths, between the land and sea. They anchor and protect coastal ecosystems, and make up a transitional zone between the land and ocean, connecting and supporting both. Most mangroves live on muddy soils, but they also can grow on sand, peat, and coral rock.

Mangroves and sea grasses, are up to 10 times more efficient at storing carbon than land based forests, hence they are very important for our fight against climate change. Because they are marine based, they are referred to as BLUE CARBON ECOSYSTEMS.

Their thick tangle root systems are vital to shoreline communities, as a natural buffer against storm surges and rising sea levels. They also inhibit the flow of tidal water, and encourage the deposition of nutrient-rich sediments. But once lost, mangroves are very difficult to replant due to shifts in the very sediments the roots helped keep in place.

Mangroves, specifically the underwater habitat their roots provide, offer critical nursing environments for juveniles of thousands of fish species, from 1-inch gobies to 10-foot sharks. Hence they are essential nursery grounds for all kinds of marine life including fish, rays, and invertebrates. Two thirds of the fish we all eat today spent part of their life in mangroves.

SO LET'S ALL DO WHAT WE CAN TO PRESERVE & RESTORE THE WORLD'S

MANGROVE FORESTS

MANGROVE FOREST

'ECOPRENEURS'

Become a Mangrove Forest Ecoprenuer

The best way to ensure your local community, continues to protect and grow your mangrove forest is to make sure it produces a strong and diverse income stream, for many of the local residents living nearby..

Ecotourism is a very fast growing industry, and both local and international tourists are always looking for new pristine, ecofriendly locations to visit. Mangrove forests, with their seemingly mystical twisted and tangled root systems, are home to a vast array of sea creatures, fish, birds, monkeys, and other land creatures. These land and sea creatures in their natural environment are exactly what Eco-tourists want to see, and experience.

The best way to allow tourists to walk through your mangrove forest, without them damaging it, is to build a strong, natural looking, walkway through it.

With a tourist kiosk, and plenty of information boards and rest stops strategically placed on it, tourists will happily pay to use your walkway.

Local community members can set up food & drink stalls, or sell locally made handicrafts at either end of your walkway. Others may want to start a boat or guided tour business, or maybe a fishing tour. There are scores of small businesses, the local community can establish for very little cost, to make an income from your community mangrove forest walkway.

Preserving Mangrove Forests can deliver enormous benefits for all community members who elect to support and participate in the project.

SO LET'S ALL DO WHAT WE CAN TO PRESERVE & RESTORE THE WORLD'S

MANGROVE FORESTS