The impressive Toog trees need time. Much more than a human lifetime. The photo on the left shows tree number 58 in March
2019, two years after planting, and the photo on the right shows the tree trunk in September 2025. The tree is now almost eight
meters tall. It could easily reach 45 meters in the next 200 years.
Our tree nursery in 2017. A total of 236 Toog trees were planted across the entire area, 104 of which are growing healthily.
Our tree nursery in 2017. A total of 236 Toog trees were planted across the entire area, 104 of which are growing healthily.
The oldest Toog tree grows in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines, and is already 300 years old. Its height is reported to be 54 meters. It should have been cut down for safety reasons, as it grows right next to a busy main road, but two groups, the Philippine Native Tree Enthusiasts (PNTE) and Save Toog Tree Please (STOP), were able to prevent this. They began removing fungal growth from the tree’s hollows to improve its health, which was very successful. Most of the Toog trees were felled during the American occupation and shipped away to be used as sleepers for railway tracks, as the wood is very hard and therefore highly sought after. Anyone who approaches one of these magnficent trees cannot help but be fascinated. The trunk has no branches up to about two-thirds of its height and a small crown measured against the trunk. The carbon content stored in these trunks, which weigh tons, is enormous and will remain stored for centuries. To expand our project, we recommend sponsoring a Toog tree. This costs €100. It is a unique and beautiful gift, for which you will receive a certificate. The tree will be registered in your name, and when all 104 trees have found a sponsor, we will erect a brass plaque listing all donors to show future generations how this growing monument came into
being. Here is a short Facebook video:
Return to Sender
The attempt to curb the flood of plastic internationally has failed. The participating countries were unable to agree on
a joint text in Geneva. It is another dark day for nature, but also for the health of the community. Plastic pollution will
continue, and may even increase. The effects are well known and need not be repeated.
The plastic plague seems to have no end in sight. Entire cities are sinking in garbage, and parts of the oceans are covered with floating carpets of trash that will drift with the currents for centuries and break down into microplastics. Mama Earth is having school chairs made from melted plastic, but this can only be a temporary solution.
University in Mati: The amount of microplastic particles we ingest every day is alarming. My message in the video: It’s our world. We are responsible for it. We must not let it slip through our fingers.
When governments fail and companies refuse to make changes for profit reasons, consumers must take action. The first step is to avoid single-use packaging, which is often used simply for convenience. Coffee to go, plastic soft drink bottles, single-use packaging that could also be made of glass… Giving up all these things is easy and will quickly bring about a change in attitude among manufacturers. The simple formula is: if it’s not bought, it won’t be produced. As is well known, we work closely with the university in Mati. A series of experiments is currently being conducted there with the edible fish that live there. The result: on average, we consume 500 to 700 microplastic particles per day with our food. The link leads to a video, mostly in Cebuano, but with subtitles. Mama Earth only speaks at the end.
Mangroves
Well done, our planting partners. We planted almost simultaneously in Mati and Baganga, only stopping planting on the days before and after the full moon because the water levels were too high and it could be dangerous for people to sink into mud holes. We will report in more detail in the next work report, but one piece of good news cannot wait: the three boats promised by BIFAR after our sinking have been delivered (see work report April 2025 at www.mama-earth.eco). There was a big reception and much joy among the fishermen, whose boats have seen better days. In the meantime, another accident has occurred. Again, there was no significant damage. However, it shows that many fishing boats are in poor condition. Many are also strained by the mangrove transport, as the plant bags filled with mud are heavy. We will therefore make greater use of bamboo rafts to reduce the strain on the boats.
Three new boats for our mangrove planters, donated by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) after our patrol boat sank.
The nurseries are always fully booked with many different
seedlings. Since we immediately fill any empty spaces, we can plant without interruption.
