This initiative was established to better coordinate the activities of its members in all areas related to native species reforestation, including environmental education and advocacy, research and development, project implementation and capacity building.
The Rain Forest Restoration Initiative (RFRI) is a network of organizations and individuals from the academe, peoples’ organizations, non-government organizations, and the business sector. Founded in 2009, the network promotes the use of native tree species, including non-timber trees, for forest restoration and other land use management objectives.
The network was established to better coordinate the activities of its members in all areas related to native species reforestation, including environmental education and advocacy, research and development, project implementation and capacity building. Currently, the RFRI has 13 members; 11 member organizations and 2 individual members.
Latest updates from the field
Between 2014 and 2015, 11 committee meetings were held, with 100% attendance during RFRI’s 1st bi-annual meeting. A position paper on the expansion of the NGP was also submitted while posters of native trees and rainforestation awareness were posted in online channels such as the RFRI website and Facebook page. RFRI’s Research Agenda for 2016-2018 was crafted as well as a financial and operational sustainability mechanism. The Leonard Co Award concept and criteria was made, giving rainforestation practitioners another avenue to spread word of their efforts in bringing back forests with native trees.
There are three major objectives that RFRI will be focusing into the coming year: Advocating the use of native species through public awareness and policy advocacy, enhancing knowledge management on native species, and improving the institutional capacity of RFRI are the project’s objectives. All of which are significant in attaining the network’s vision, “a society that embraces the use of native trees for ecological integrity.”
Every year, different organizations act as convener for the network, implementing RFRI activities and taking the lead in the RFRI agenda. Haribon became RFRI convener for 2015.
Objective
To coordinate the activities of its network in all areas related to native species reforestation including environmental education and advocacy, research and development, project implementation and capacity building.
Donor
Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation, Inc.
Duration
September 2015 to September 2016
By the numbers
- 4 Articles published in official RFRI newsletter PANAO.
- 10 Public events attended to promote rainforestation.
- 11 committee meetings with 100% attendance during 1st bi-annual meeting.
- 13 Members supporting the use of native tree species.
