What began as a passion for the environment has turned into a mission for Thomas Kleefeld, an ardent tree lover and environment specialist, who has whetted his calling to protect Oman’s rich tree heritage with an innovative proposal that is aimed at creating awareness and instilling environmental values by recording, registering and protecting trees in the country.
Spurred by an emotional letter to a Ghaf tree, published in a local daily by a citizen distressed to see his favourite tree being uprooted to make space for a parking site, and the public response via social media that culminated in a proactive measure by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA), Kleefeld, aka tree father (Abu Sajara for his neighbours), took on the mantle of creating a hub for likeminded citizens and expatriates by initiating a Facebook page titled ‘Saving Oman’s Tree Heritage’. Designed to augment various ongoing environmental measures, this social media venture invites Facebook users to like the page that is structured ‘to assist locals and visitors in recognising and protecting their old and new trees as part of the cultural heritage of the Sultanate of Oman’.
Although the Ghaf story ended on a high note with an interesting counter-reply by the tree clarifying its age as 250 and prompting a collective reaction from readers and eco-conscious residents, including students who left notes on the construction barricade around the tree, there is more to the story… While timely action from MECA ensured that that Ghaf tree remained rooted where it took birth, it did spawn the larger question of how the fate of the tree in a public space came to be decided by a private entity.
Waterboxx
Kleefeld has hands-on experience in the field of tree plantation and has been actively involved in a previous similar project; he now works as Senior Project Manager and HSE Specialist & Advisor at Qualies (Organisation for Quality and Innovation Strategies). Based on his work experience in the region, he notes that the problem with tree planting in hot, dry climates is that “Traditional methods of man-made irrigation make the tree babies get lazy. They become dependent on human interference and do not follow their natural instincts to make deep taproots in order to find natural sources of moisture and ground-water”.
To counter this problem, the Waterboxx is devised in such a way that it inspires the young tree to make a deep taproot, which will naturally sustain its growth without the need for prolonged artificial irrigation. The Waterboxx, fitted with a wick that extends below, is placed over the young tree with a small opening to grow upward. The box is then filled with water (15 litres) and sealed with a tapered lid which prevents water from going out while collecting any precipitation and even condensation. “The young plant gets access to water through the wick; but only enough to survive, not to thrive. So the plant follows its natural instincts to make a deep taproot until it finds water further down the earth,” he explains, pointing out that the Waterboxx was particularly chosen as the project focuses on native plants which take time to grow.
Kleefeld is very optimistic about this technology, and he isn’t the only one. At the end of 2018 Qualies, along with their partners at Three Pillars Consulting, was awarded funding from BP Oman’s 2018-round of Social Investment Projects to develop a reforestation initiative in Oman by using the Waterboxx and reintroducing many native plant species that have been declining in the Sultanate over the past several decades. MECA has also been supporting this initiative by providing the land for the pilot project and lending their experts in the advisory process.
Being involved in a project of this stature is a fulfilment of a mission for German-born Kleefeld, who has relied on his penchant for travel and adventure sports to hone his passion for the environment. From his first job aboard an expedition cruise ship when he travelled to some of the remote corners of the world, to his current responsibility in Qualies, the environment has been the focus of every step taken. Prior to Qualies, he worked with Bauer Nimr, an environmental services company, on a project that involved greening the area in Nimr. He’d also worked in a reforestation project in Brazil, which provided him with an insight into what could be accomplished – individually and collectively.
Plan of Action
According to Kleefeld, the need of the hour is to whip up action to protect old and large trees, particularly native trees like Ghaf, Baobab, Juniper and Sidr, while nurturing and growing more trees to help the environment. Towards this end, he suggests registering trees of certain age and size, in the lines of Germany where a tree representative is chosen to do the needful. Another is to create a database of trees, treating them as national monuments – very old, very big or very special in some way – similar to monumentaltrees.com, which is a public platform for people to register trees.
He is also keen to propose the adoption of trees, wherein people could be invited to plant trees and, through a small donation, adopt it and track its growth. The idea is to inculcate a love for trees and foster the heritage of trees that act as meeting points for elders.
As nature lover Rachael MacIver, notes, “Trees represent a link back to our past. We are busy looking at old buildings and monuments, forgetting there are trees that have been around longer than that. Trees have played a big role in the cultural heritage of Oman. In villages you see people seated around one…it is reflective of the country’s culture.”
The time then is NOW to root for trees!