PRESS RELEASE - Save the Philippine Ironwood “Stronger than Steel” and other hardwoods from extincti
Two years ago in 2015, I Lauri M. Oikarinen, an Environmental Planner from Finland discovered super quality hardwood trees while looking for the best renewable local construction materials in Palawan for a Self-Sufficient House - just to find out they are already gone! Just 20 years ago you could have built your house from 70-years-lasting super-durable Hardwood… In a desperate one-man-effort I tried to find a way to protect something nobody seemed to be interested in: the most valuable Philippine endemic hardwood species – jewels of nature. With 4 inspired Palawan locals we founded: Saving the Wonder Trees Inc. I have started all of this with my own funds and sweat in the jungle.
Lauri and the Ironwood (Mangkono)
Xanthosthemon verdugonianus
Since 1960s almost all of the Philippine forest cover in general has been lost. BUT even the remaining forests are nearly completely “stripped off” from the valuable species due to decades of selective logging; and illegal logging is a common treat even after total logging bans were set by the Philippine government in 1990s. Source: Environmental Science for Social Change (ESSC) 1999: http://essc.org.ph/content/decline-of-the-philippine-forest/
The valuable and critically endangered species include two Ebony species called “The Black Beauty” as well as the Philippine national tree Narra, Ipil, Ironwood & Malabayabas plus 20 more.
As an environmentalist I cannot let these super valuable trees go extinct like this! Nobody is acting… When I found out the real situation it broke my heart. Since then, I’ve been doing all I can to reverse this and prevent the extinction, if I can. But one man cannot save all the Palawan hardwood species! Together we CAN, if you help me. We need to do it together. I arranged a scouting survey (sweat days in the jungle and pay all the costs from my own pockets) to find out how many are actually remaining. We found some small remaining natural hardwood habitats in Palawan! Please help us to acquire these key-biotype areas for permanent protection before it is too late…
We are now working to raise funds to save these hardwood species and start propagating them back to all Philippine islands that have already been stripped off their majesty. We will be opening our first fundraiser campaign in November. We need at least 10,000€ to protect the first remaining natural habitat and 10,000€ more to establish a nursery and reforestation program with our seedling production. This is just 3 334 x 2 of us chipping in 3€ each. We just need your help to do it! Please help us before it’s too late… We must all work together to make this a thousand-people effort. These trees are a “Carbon Dioxide Sink”, being so heavy they will bind huge amounts of CO2 every year. You can significantly offset CO2-emissions by helping us plant more hardwood trees!
Founder: Mr. Lauri M. Oikarinen
Phone: +63 999 508 2796 & +358 40 414 2919
Email: savingthewondertrees@gmail.com
Webpage: sawe2017.wixsite.com/savingthewondertrees
P.S. The estimated weight of the Ironwood is as high as
1 040 kg/m3! The heart wood is so hard it sounds like hitting a metal when hammering it. The resins in the wood make it very hard to cut and it will dull many chainsaw chains before yielding… thus, “Stronger than steel”. The resins also make it extremely resistant to rot and insects, making it superb construction material for purposes where strength and durability is needed. There is no research done on the species!