Rainforest Rising

Rainforest-raising

As part of Anurak Community Lodge’s sustainability initiatives, and in collaboration with the local forestry department and the Forest Restoration Research Unit from Chiang Mai University, we’re actively bring the rainforest back with our ‘Rainforest Rising’ program by reforesting an old oil palm plantation that would have once been lowland evergreen forest. The one-acre revegetation site lies within the boundaries of the resort and close to the National Park border. The objective is to return this land to its original state, providing refuge for animals and ensuring it’s there for future generations.

We’ve started removing oil palm trees and replacing them with indigenous flora, and now we’re inviting guests to take part in this initiative too. In consultation with local environmental experts, we’ve identified 17 species – all sourced from our native forest nursery in Khlong Thom District, Krabi Province – that are native to the area. During their stay, guests can plant one of the following, in the process offsetting their carbon footprint:

Artocarpus Lacucha

Growing to 25m, this mid-sized deciduous tree features large oval leaves that can grow up to 30cm long and 13cm wide! Its mushroom-shaped flowers vary in colour from pale yellow to pink-orange, while the yellow fruit is edible.

Baccaurea Motleyana

Attractive to wildlife with its fleshy fruit, this tree grows to around 24m and has leaves that grow as long as 36cm. It features a pale green-yellow flower that grows in slender clusters.

Baccaurea Ramiflora

This smaller tree grows to 15m and features yellow flowers that hang in slender, drooping clusters. Appearing along the trunk and on mature branches, its spectacular red-purple fruit is edible.

Rainforest Rising
Rainforest Rising

Dipterocarpus Kerrii

A large evergreen tree growing to 40m, it features small leaves and cream-pink flowers. The fruit is round and green, while two crimson feather-like wings descend from the bottom of fruit and can be up to 14cm long.

Garcinia Cowra

Also known as wild mongosteen, this leafy tree grows to 18m. The feature is the club-shaped flower; pale yellow often flushed with orange or pink, they grow alone or in compact clusters. The fleshy fruit ripens to yellow-orange.

Hopea Odorata

The timber from this 40m tree is valued for its use in boat making, however it also features pale yellow honey-scented flowers, and yellow-brown fruit with long wings that descend downwards.

Intsia Bijuga

Although growing to 40m in Borneo, in Southern Thailand this tree generally only reaches 25m tall. Featuring soft pink flowers, the fruit appears similar to a leathery snow pea and dries to a seedpod. 

Lepisanthes Rubiginosa

This fast-growing deciduous shrub grows to 12m, and features giant leaves. Fragrant, pale yellow flowers appear in clusters, while the berry-like fruit ranges from orange to a dark purple-black.

Litsea Grandis

A mid-sized tree growing as tall as 28m, it’s attractive to animals thanks to its large fruit. The flowers appear in soft yellow clusters, while the fruit ripens from a dark red to glossy black.

Rainforest Rising
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Parkia Timoriana

A giant of the forest that can grow to 50m, this fast-growing tree features edible seeds housed within long black bean pods and fluffy yellow-brown flowers with nectar to attract birds. 

Syzygium racemosum

This rare tree grows to 37m and features white flowers. The fleshy, berry-like fruit is green-white-reddish in colour and very attractive to animals. 

Eugenia oblate

This flood tolerant tree grows to 20m tall and features white flowers. The fruit is small and round.

Pometia pinnata (Allophylus cobbe)

This fast-growing evergreen can reach 30m in height and is commonly found along streams. The tree features grape-like edible fruit ripening from green to red, as well as delicate orange-green flowers.

Sandoricum koetjape

A fast-growing, briefly deciduous tree, it features mildly fragrant flowers ranging from greenish white, to pale yellow or pink appearing in bunches. The fleshy fruit features translucent, edible pulp. 

Shorea roxburghii

A briefly deciduous tree growing to 30m, it has masses of small white-cream flowers. The fruit appears as small nuts with three long slender wings that hang downwards. 

Rainforest Rising
Rainforest Rising

Syzygium cumini

This mid-sized tree grows to 35m and produces stunning clusters of white-yellow flowers. The edible berry-like fruit ripens pink through to purple black; it’s attractive to animals and also cultivated on a small scale. 

Syzygium grande

Growing to 30m with a stout trunk, this tree has thick leathery leaves and beautiful fragrant flowers that are white to very pale green in colour. The small fibrous fruit is relished by bats and squirrels.