Meet Narra!

Have you seen seeds that look like small flat discs (some are prickly, some are smooth)? Or a layer of small yellow flowers on the ground? Chances are there is a Narra Tree nearby: the National Tree of the Philippines!

Narra seeds growing from the tree!

The Narra (Pterocarpus indicus) is known to survive if planted in an open and infertile area. It is a resilient tree that blooms beautiful yellow flowers. 

Unfortunately, illegal logging has placed the Narra as a Vulnerable species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.

Did you know that native trees are better for our forests than exotic ones? They are more adapted to the tropical environment, strengthen local ecosystem services, and attract more biodiversity.

Meet more of our Forest Friends below!

More about the Forest Governance Project

Our Forest Friends awareness campaign is part of the Forest Governance Project or FOGOP. The project aims to increase local community participation in forest management and land use plans. It involves communities and forest areas in three (3) key locations: Mt. Irid-Angelo in Luzon, Mt. Siburan in Mindoro, and Mt. Hilong-hilong in Mindanao.

Learn more about FOGOP here.

Sources

  1. Rain Forest Restoration Intiative, 2016. Narra. The Return of Philippine Native Trees Last accessed September 10, 2019.
  2. World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. Pterocarpus indicus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 1998: e.T33241A9770599. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T33241A9770599.en. Downloaded on 10 September 2019.