The climate reports are all speaking of similar solutions: Restoring and protecting natural forests is a key to fight climate change. Studies show that natural forests store up to 40 times more carbon than plantations. The UN REDD+ initiative to Reduce Emissions from forest Degradation and Deforestation in developing countries is one of the most important mechanism to bind up atmospheric carbon. This translates into sustainable natural forest management.
We strongly believe nature reserves are important, but carbon capture in unmanaged forests are often stagnated, job creation is small and protecting the borders are costly.
By managing the forest sustainably, we bind more carbon than ever. All our products acts as long term carbon sinks, whether it’s a wooden house, a railway sleeper or a piece of furniture, the carbon bound up in that article stays there for decades, while the forest growths thicker and faster from the increased light inflow the harvesting gap creates. Light is the limiting factor to Miombo forests, and growth rates are fastest at about 60% canopy cover. We are together with universities developing optimal management methods to increase carbon capture while maintaining sustainability and biodiversity in the ecosystem at the same time as we create as many jobs in the management and processing as possible.
By sustainable forest management, we make sure that the wood resources will last for generations to come. Our staff of 200 local employees means that over one thousand people benefits from a monthly income, which relieves the pressure on the forest. We train people to look after the forest, prevent fires, help the regeneration of the new trees and uphold the law within our borders.
Perhaps the biggest impact comes from the human development where we educate, focus on health care and provide long term opportunities that prevents people of resorting to unsustainable and illegal activities to make a livelihood.
Contribute to our work by donating. Either directly towards our work of sustainable forest management with increased carbon fixation or towards some of the direct causes listed below:
Some examples of costs you can donate directly towards:
Law enforcement:
Monthly salary of a forest ranger: 130 USD
Field kit for a forest ranger: 200 USD
Forest fires:
100m of fire break: 250 USD
A fire vigilance tower: 3000 USD
Regeneration:
Three-year management costs of a coppice: 50 USD
One plant raised in our nursery and planted in the forest: 5 USD
Human development:
School books and pencils for a student for one year: 10 USD
Health care:
One Malaria quick test and medication: 10 USD
One family size mosquito net: 20 USD
One consultation and treatment in our clinic: 15 USD
HIV/AIDS non-stigmatization campaign, including tests: 20 USD
Science:
Measuring of permanent sample plots: 150 USD
How to help
In Sweden, please contact David (david[at]levasforest.com) and in Mozambique Claudia (claudia[at]levasflor.com) or Nils (nils[at]levasflor.com) with what your preferred cause is and we will get back to you with a certificate and feedback!