Planting Trees In Thailand: How You Can Create Elephant Habitat
(And Habitat For Other Animals Too)
Oh! You want to know if other animals in Thailand benefit from new habitats too? Don’t tell us you want to know why elephants are boxing with trees, and the one simple thing you can do to help protect their future?!
Well now you’re just being nosey – but that’s irrelephant. Keep on reading to find out how you can make a difference today. But if you’re already convinced and want to plant a Tree For Tuskers, then right this way.
Where Do We Plant Trees In Thailand?
We’ll begin with a bit of housekeeping about where we plant trees in Thailand. If you’ve already read You Reap What You Sow , then you’ll know that we plant trees in North-West Thailand, just south of the beautiful village of Pai.
North-West Thailand is still a wild, green, and mountainous area, filled with all kinds of animals. But we’ve chosen to plant trees there because of the deforestation that occurred during the 20th century.
What Happened To The Original Elephant Habitat?
Sadly, it’s believed that as much as 70% of Thailand’s natural forest was removed due to logging and land use change. Northern Thailand was badly affected.
As Thailand’s population and its tourism industry boomed, natural habitat and wild terrain was removed to make space for urbanization and modern buildings. Human population and urban activity spilled into areas where elephants had previously roamed.
But on top of that, there was illegal logging, ivory hunting, and the purchase of huge areas of natural land for personal gain. Crucial elephant habitat needed for grazing, breeding, and survival was quickly disappearing – as was their population.
As a result, Asian elephants are now an endangered species worldwide.
We’re determined to help re-forest northern Thailand so that those wild elephants can thrive once again.
Elephants benefit in so many ways when we plant trees. But you and I, dear reader, benefit as well!
Remember the whole thing about trees providing us with the oxygen we need to breathe?! What about the part where trees create work, battle climate change, improve the quality of our soil, and naturally filter our air?
When we create more elephant habitat everybody (and everything) benefits. Let us explain.
How Exactly Do Trees Help Create Elephant Habitat?
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were more than 100,000 wild elephants in Thailand. These days that number is down to around 3,000-4,000.
See a connection? We certainly do! That’s because Asian elephants depend on trees.
First of all, elephants need safe, natural habitat away from modern settlements and human population. The forest is one of their favorite habitats – just ask Elephant Tan.
Forests create safe spaces for elephants to raise their infants. The plains around forests provide plenty of drinking water. Importantly, trees are also a vital food source for elephants.
Elephants get the majority of their food from grass, fruits, and even trees themselves! We all know how much fruit a single tree can supply. Well, turns out elephants like to chow down on the branches, bark, and even the roots of a tree from time to time.
Certain trees even store water inside their trunks, which can be crucial during a dry spell.
Put simply, elephants need trees to survive and, with your help, we’re going to plant as many as possible. That way, elephant numbers will grow and they’ll have all the habitat they need to thrive in the wild.
You can plant one of our Trees For Tuskers today and put a big smile on Elephant Tan’s face with just a few clicks on your screen.
Want to see elephants just being elephants? Check out this short video.
Are There Any Other Benefits Of Creating Elephant Habitat In Thailand?
We’ve already told you all about the benefits of trees, and how they affect the lives of each of us.
Happy elephants benefit from planting trees, there’s no doubt about that. But there’s a whole ecosystem (and plenty of other animals in Thailand) that benefit too.
Studies have found that elephant grazing helps to improve soil quality and grass quality. Where elephants are present, there’s more nutrition in the soil thanks to their dung. That soil is able to store more carbon and nitrogen¹.
Great news for us, but even better news for Mother Earth and other animals in Thailand that feed on that grass as well!
Those nutrients help all kinds of plants grow (including trees) in an interconnected system. Other animals in Thailand benefit from healthier soil and grass. But they also benefit when powerful elephants decide it’s time for a little treet.
When an elephant knocks down a tree, smaller (and shorter) animals are able to eat some fruit too. The tree, its branches, and all of its leaves decompose into the ground and make the soil below it even richer.
Then the elephants and all the other animals spread the seeds with their dung to expand the forest even further. That’s why elephants are known as ‘ecosystem engineers’ – they improve landscapes and increase biological diversity too.
It’s a brilliant, self-sufficient system. Plant more trees, save elephants, save wildlife, and create natural habitat.
**[Psst…want to know more about where Click A Tree is planting trees and get regular updates on our work in Thailand? Then sign up for our GROW newsletter. We’ll plant a tree for you just to say thanks.]
Creating Elephant Habitat With Click A Tree
When you plant a tree with Click A Tree, we make sure that your tree has the best possible chance of survival. We plant natural, varied, and healthy forests instead of simply planting the cheapest tree available.
In fact, we plant around 40 different types of trees. These include teak trees, cluster figs, golden shower trees, money trees, and even yellow bells. We’ve identified these trees as the best ones to build a natural new forest in North-West Thailand.
And, if for any reason your tree doesn’t survive for the first three years, we’ll replant it free of charge!
Our long-term approach ensures that we’re creating sustainable elephant habitat that will see their population grow.
Are you convinced now that elephant habitat is worth the effort? Plant a Tree For Tuskers and you can help create that vital elephant habitat and make a difference today.
Check out our Instagram stories to find out more about the world’s largest land animal and get involved with our Facebook conversation about creating elephant habitat in Thailand.
Thank you for being awesome and helping us create a future for these beautiful animals.
Sources:
¹ https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/04/rootin-poopin-african-elephants-help-keep-soil-fertile