Rehabilitation of Arayat Watershed
for the Protection of Candaba Wetlands

The Candaba Wetlands and Mount Arayat are considered ecologically important areas.  Both ecosystems are habitats of endemic and endangered flora and fauna.  Mt. Arayat tributaries drain into the Pampanga River which bisects the whole Candaba swamp area.  Sediments from soil erosion on the mountain find its way into the Candaba swamp contributing to its eutrophication.  The average depth of the swamp is only 1-2 meters deep, thus making it very vulnerable to sedimentation.  The degradation of the Arayat uplands would also mean the deterioration of the habitat of waterfowls and migratory birds of the swamplands.  Addressing the conservation issues of the uplands would also help address the degradation of the swamplands.  As such the two different ecosystems cannot be separated  from each other.

Rehabilitation and conservation of resources of the Arayat-Candaba watershed is of great importance, not only to the flora and fauna, but also to the local people.  Conserving the upland and swampland resources could eventually conserve its biodiversity.

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Training on Plantation Establishment and Maintenance for the Punong Buhay Brigade


Training on plantation establishment and maintenance was conducted on 14 May 2011 at the assembly place of the Maria Sinukuan Upland Farmers Association  for the farmers/families who will be joining the Punong Buhay Brigade.  The participants were trained by Mr. Bienvenido Martin of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – CENRO on transporting of seedlings, site preparation and weed control, planting techniques, thinning and pruning, and pest management.

Training on Parataxonomy


Selected upland farmers attended the training on parataxonomy which was conducted in two parts.  The first part was held on 24 September 2012.  The training consisted of lectures about taxonomy or classification and case studies about terrestrial biodiversity in various types of forests and watershed in the country.  The second part of the training was conducted on 27 November 2012 to coincide with the reconnaissance survey of mother trees.  The farmers had an on-site identification and classification exercise of major tee species in Mt. Arayat.

Forester Ulysses Ferreras demonstrated techniques on collection and preservation of plant samples for identification and classification as practicum exercises in the training.

Forester Darwin Totaan supervised the one-day practicum and identification of mother trees in the area.

 

 

Implementors and Partners –

Pampanga Agricultural College