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       #Post#: 29--------------------------------------------------
       Inspiration Story
       By: shadowman Date: March 10, 2013, 10:40 am
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  HTML http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/indian-man-single-handedly-plants-a-1360-acre-forest
       Indian man single-handedly plants a 1,360-acre forest
       Jadav Payeng turned a barren sandbar in northern India into a
       lush new forest ecosystem.
       A little more than 30 years ago, a teenager named Jadav "Molai"
       Payeng began burying seeds along a barren sandbar near his
       birthplace in northern India's Assam region to grow a refuge for
       wildlife. Not long after, he decided to dedicate his life to
       this endeavor, so he moved to the site where he could work
       full-time creating a lush new forest ecosystem. Incredibly, the
       spot today hosts a sprawling 1,360 acres of jungle that Payeng
       planted — single-handedly.
       
       The Times of India recently caught up with Payeng in his remote
       forest lodge to learn more about how he came to leave such an
       indelible mark on the landscape.
       
       It all started way back in 1979, when floods washed a large
       number of snakes ashore on the sandbar. One day, after the
       waters had receded, Payeng, only 16 then, found the place dotted
       with the dead reptiles. That was the turning point of his life.
       
       "The snakes died in the heat, without any tree cover. I sat down
       and wept over their lifeless forms. It was carnage. I alerted
       the forest department and asked them if they could grow trees
       there. They said nothing would grow there. Instead, they asked
       me to try growing bamboo. It was painful, but I did it. There
       was nobody to help me. Nobody was interested," says Payeng, now
       47.
       
       While it's taken years for Payeng's remarkable dedication to
       planting to receive some well-deserved recognition
       internationally, it didn't take long for wildlife in the region
       to benefit from the manufactured forest. Demonstrating a keen
       understanding of ecological balance, Payeng even transplanted
       ants to his burgeoning ecosystem to bolster its natural harmony.
       Soon the shadeless sandbar was transformed into a
       self-functioning environment where a menagerie of creatures
       could dwell. The forest, called the Molai woods, now serves as a
       safe haven for numerous birds, deer, rhinos, tigers and
       elephants — species increasingly at risk from habitat loss.
       
       Despite the conspicuousness of Payeng's project, forestry
       officials in the region first learned of this new forest in 2008
       — and since then they've come to recognize his efforts as truly
       remarkable, but perhaps not enough.
       
       "We're amazed at Payeng," says Gunin Saikia, assistant
       conservator of Forests. "He has been at it for 30 years. Had he
       been in any other country, he would have been made a hero."
       
       Copyright Treehugger 2012
       incredible story!
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