July 1, 2026
As part of our Global Harmony Mission, eighteen of us, including 7 crew members, went on an excursion into the Mangrove Forest and planted 100 new mangrove trees. It was a fun, informative afternoon and nice to have some of our hard working crew, be our guest and enjoy the time too!
Mangrove trees aren't good for lumber. They used to burn them to produce charcoal bricks, but this is not good environmentally. Now they are recognized for their vital ecosystem powers for Blue Carbon Storage. Here's how Blue Carbon works:
- Coastal plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, through photosynthesis.
- Organic matter is trapped in waterlogged, oxygen - poor (anaerobic) soils.
- Lack of oxygen slows down decomposition, preserving carbon for millennia instead of decades.
Mangroves use the smallest area to gain the highest rate of Blue Carbon storage for the planet. They are Vital for our planet's destiny.
Indonesia holds approximately 23 % of the World's mangrove forests and these forest also protect coastal communities from rising sea levels and support incredible marine diversity.
After an hour of view and seeing the wildlife diversity in the forest by boats, we landed in an area currently above water in the tides to plant the Mangrove seedlings we purchased through Global Harmony. Digging holes in the sand base was fairly easy and then we insert the saplings and filled the holes back in. Lots of hands made the task go quickly and the guides were well organized.
They had cold beverages and wet hand towels for us to refresh, back at the boat dock / guide station. They thank us for our efforts and gave us some more information, answered questions and took some final photos.
