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

Share

You might like...

Mouth of Sydney Harbour

Sydney Harbour – a river valley flooded in the last ice age

What is now Sydney Harbour, 12,000 years ago was a river valley that was drowned. Water flooded in and the sea level rose 120 metres

Read more
Swift parrot2 Kim Murray

Bruny and Maria Island critical for Swift Parrot's survival

Swift Parrots are critically endangered. The one thing that has kept the Swift Parrot going, is that there are two islands, Bruny Island and Maria Island, where there are no sugar gliders. And on these islands, the birds can breed successfully if there is sufficient food.

Read more
Skye Scotland

Re-wilding Scotland

In 2010, as a student completing her MA in Broadcast Journalism, George Tomlinson made a film about rewilding in Scotland. She interviewed some of the early pioneers of more radical conservation in Scotland such as Alan Watson Featherstone, Roy Dennis and the late Dick Balharry, as well as some of those working the land who worry about changing land use and bringing back missing species

Read more
Francesco ungaro MJ1 Q7h He Gl A unsplash

Tubbataha Reef - The Coral Heart of the Philippine Seas

Discover the coral heart of the Philippines and the crown jewel of Philippine diving, the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, in this short documentary. Around 700 species of fish and 360 coral species—about half of all known species—can be found here. 

Read more

Newsletter

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