Protect a Hectare Project

by lakwatserong tatay

Here's is one of my stories that was been part of my draft post, luckily i have enough time to make a short story about this trip. That entitled as Protect a Hectare happened at La Mesa Ecopark last September 3, 2011. This was a company project that was participated by different LOB's in our company, of course our depart was included on this project for a cause, but this project was opened for limited attendees, and i was lucky to be chosen and part of saving the remaining Watershed in Metropolitan Area.
It was Saturday morning, our meetup happened infront of our office lobby with two buses waited for us to chartered us back and fort from our office to LaMesa Ecopark. Im with my co-teammate Lorna, we were 2 of the luckiest person had the chance to join this monumental event.

Bus #1 were i was included...

Bus #2, from other LOB's

We arrived in the venue on time, and formed in the lobby of La Mesa Ecopark's Pangasiwaan, were our company was welcome and guided to area of Bahay Punlaan. Being a backpacker/mountain climber, this kind of activity is one of my priorities, having the chance to protect our environment from deforestation, and seeing at least a city in Metropolitan having this kind of forest park is really a great achievement.

The volunteers

This is not my first time to do tree planting activity on this ecopark, my first time to do tree planting on this place happened wayback 2008, my group SPIMC had a tree planting activity at the La Mesa Watershed with 186 employees and friends joined this fun overnight activity. Our group was given 200 tree seedlings to plant but our group actually given double than that so its more or less 400 trees that we plant in the watershed. Even it was raining that time, our spirits for a few moments actually damped but it wasn't able to ruin the spirit of the entire group. (SPIMC's adventures).

Welcome!

The "Pangasiwaan" assembly area of our group which we were welcome by the staffs and caretakers of the ecopark.

Our assembly area...

One of the best area for photo opps and wedding photo shots, actually that time this area is used by two couples having the pre-nuptial photos....^_^.

La Mesa Eco Park......astig toh!

We straight ahead at Bahay Punlaan, for the briefing and short presentation about we will be doing that day. Our objective that was supposed to be tree planting at watershed but that time tree planting in watershed that time was prohibited, as i've heard it was regarding the illegal settlers that was sheltering around the watershed. So we had just the briefing on how to make a tree plant place in a small black bag by using a decompose and porous soil.

Bahay Punlaan

The lecture is all about environmental awareness, tree planting and nursery activity and of course some important reminders on how we could help our environment even your in work and home.

the volunteers....

Each of the volunteers has the naming rights of the trees given to us, in short we do have bantay kalikasan adoption certificate...i do really hope that by the years pass by together with my kids i'll go back to visit those trees..here's the photo opps of my name tag....^_^.

My tree name tag....^_^

The step by step process on how to plant a tree, starting on a small black bag placed together with very owned made decompose material.

lorna's photo opps while on practice...

all are in action and super active..^_^

The finished product, just waiting to be poured by water and of course our tree plant that is waiting to be buried on this decompose material.

the finished product...wahahaha...

And then we proceed outside the Bahay Punlaan for the actual tree planting session, each one of us was given 2 or more trees to be plant on those small black bags.

the trees is handed over....

Here are some of my shots while on our tree planting session....

all was active even under the scorching heat of the sun...

This trees are waiting to be transferred on there designated area in watershed.....i hope this trees will grow and be seen by my kids....^_^.

This is the overall finished product....^_^

As i've said, we did not have the chance to go to watershed, so we had another learning session called Composting and Vermiculture (Solid Waste Managmeent at Home and Office), actually most of the volunteers did not like this part specially when this thin and long earthworms are getting out of this decompose materils made of dried leaves and biodegradable materials like left over foods..etc.

the main ingredients....

do you like to hold this...have one...^_^...

After those two learning session, our last destination is the ground breaking monumental photo opps for our company together with our bosses...hehehehe...and the hand over of the Bantay Kalikasan Adoption Certificate. But after doing that our facilitator that day, do the actual tree planting on the ground, she show to all of us how to make the hole in the ground, how deep you should plant the tree, how to water it and buried again with decompose material.

our facilitator in action....^_^

It was already mid-afternoon when we finished all of the activities and have the photo opps for the group. It was quite hot day, but all of us were happy and proud to be part of this event in helping our mother nature..

1...2...3....chase......^_^

A Brief History about La Mesa Ecopark:

La Mesa Watershed in Quezon city is our primary source of drinking water of about 12 million Metro Manila residents. The property is owned by Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), a government agency. This watershed is 2700 hectares, 700 hectares of which is the reservior and 2000 hectares of which is the surrounding forest. This is the only remaining forest in the Metro as of now. Due to lack of funds, illegal settling, poaching and logging, La Mesa Watershed was startted to be destroyed. In 1999, thru the efforts of ABS-CBN Foundation, created the Bantay Kalikasan, in partnership with the MWSS, undertook the Save La Mesa Watershed Project. As of now, the park continues to be a popular destination for family gatherings, outings, and picnics. Aside being used as ecopark, it has outdoor activities, to boasts of the following activities. For more informations you may visit their website.....

Ecoparks' entrance fees

the pathway to it's ecopark....

It's amenities....

For more information:
La Mesa Eco Park
La Mesa Dam Compound, Greater Lagro, Quezon City
Tel no.: 430-4051 / 430-5207 (telefax)
Website: http://www.lamesaecopark.com/

Hope to see this tree in the future....Lakwatserong Tatay...