Forest Man

Humble yet passionate and philosophical about his work Jadev Payeng tells the story of how he decided to make a forest.

Since the 1970's Majuli islander Jadav Payeng has been planting trees in order to save his island. To date he has single handedly planted a forest larger than Central Park in New York. His forest has transformed what was once a barren wasteland, into a lush oasis, home to endangered species and so much more.

Humble yet passionate and philosophical about his work, Payeng takes us on a journey into his incredible forest.

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese proverb
Forest Man

An agricultural scientist once said to Jadev, "plant trees and they will take care of us".

So, when he saw his home, Majuli island, turning into a desert, that’s exactly what he decided to do. Over the course of several decades he restored a landscape and he speaks passionately about biodiversity, climate change and the environment, in India and abroad. He is now helping non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in other countries plant trees and create forests too.

“The planting of a tree is a modest form of immortality and one of the few truly long-term expressions of hope to mortal human beings.” – Voltaire
Dan Broun
Dan Broun
Kuno Earth Media Centre Manager
Dan Broun is an experienced photo-journalist and passionate advocate for wild nature


Share

Help us to build a platform to connect people with planet earth!

Become a supporter

You might like...

Secretarybird2

It started in South Africa

For ecologist/ornithologist and Birdlife Tasmania Convenor Dr Karen Dick, her love of nature comes from her South African childhood, a mother who reha...
Read more
Hansons Beach Sandstone

Earth's history in Adventure Bay's rocks

At different parts of Adventure Bay you can find Sandstone that pre-dates life on Earth, to mudstone rich in fossils, to Dolerite cliffs that were onc...
Read more
Walking over icefields Laspur Trek

A tale of the Laspur-Kumrat Trek

The tale of an incredible 5-day trek from Laspur. Through history, Laspur's mountain passes have played a pivotal role connecting Dir, Swat, Gilgit, A...
Read more
White bicycle amsterdam

De Fiets is Niets - The Bicycle Is Nothing

Today the Netherlands has a reputation as a kind of bicycling paradise. This was not inevitable but the result of a long and concerted effort.
Read more

Newsletter

Sign up to keep in touch with articles, updates, events or news from Kuno, your platform for nature