Our progress has been unbelievable
The Miyawaki Method
Our rapid reforestation has been possible through our pioneering use in Nepal of the Miyawaki Method that encourages forests to grow ten times faster, twenty times more biodiverse, thirty times denser and with forty times the CO2 sequestration potential of forests planted conventionally. In a nutshell, the Method involves:
- Excavation to a depth of 1.5 metres using mechanical excavators
- Placing a layer of compost – ingredients can be manure, rice husk,straw, water hyacinth (an invasive species)
- Mixing soil with compost and replacement of top soil
- Marking site into a grid of one metre squares and planting saplings densely – six per square
- Mulching to protect the saplings from weeds and retain moisture
- Fencing to exclude domestic and wild grazers
Snakes and foxes!
Not long after we set up our first forest cluster in December 2021, Bengal Foxes moved into the site. They are endangered from roadkill and by attacks from domestic dogs. The fenced-off forest offered them a place of security and there is now a thriving breeding population at the site.
A fence is no barrier to a snake and we’ve been excited to find that King Cobras have also been passing through. The presence of this apex predator is clear evidence that we are creating ecosystems rather than just planting trees.
And of course, birds, lots of them….
Our original vision is also coming to fruition. In a baseline survey, we found 37 bird species at the forest site. Continuous monitoring since then has identified 136 species, many of which have become resident.
These include a Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, spotted in May 2025. This is an Indian bird that, to the best of our knowledge, has never before been photographed in Madhesh Province.
A community forest
Community engagement is vitally important in all of our environmental project work. The local community at the bird park is very pleased that we allow controlled access to our forests to collect fodder and graze their livestock. Large animals like water buffaloes enhance biodiversity by disturbing the soil with their hooves and leaving droppings.
Our plantations have resulted in a rise in the water table and the nearby river is no longer so prone to drying up – this has benefited local farmers too. And we’re supporting them through developing agroforestry.
Young bird-watchers
We also reach out to schoolchildren to teach them about the environment and help develop a love and respect for nature. We have come to see this as being every bit as important as planting trees.
Each Saturday morning, up to 45 children and students from our Dhanushadham Young Ornithologists, that we formed in January 2025, meet to go bird-watching at the reserve.
Future plans
To date, this project has been funded by gifts from a number of UK Foundations, including a grant in memory of the late Mr Guy Joseph. It is particularly suitable for ‘in memoriam’ gifts (for example, donations in lieu of flowers) or gifts in Wills that will allow us to continue to add incrementally to the site. To discuss these options, contact Philip directly through this link.
Our ultimate goal is to incorporate an extended park into an 8-km long nature trail that will be accessible to children and young people as well as to naturalists. Through this nature trail, we aim to demonstrate how nature can be restored to the mutual benefit of both wildlife and the local community. We look forward to presenting Miyawaki forests, new wetlands and agroforestry activities that can be copied elsewhere in south Nepal.
