Reforestation Programme project
With the growth of trekking and mountaineering tourism activities in the Mount Everest region from the early 1970s have added great pressure on the local forest as it was only the source of firewood for energy available. As a consequence, local forest degraded rapidly before the Sagarmatha National Park was established in the Everest area in 1976 by the government of Nepal. The Himalayan Trust New Zealand provided the technical and financial support in the process of establishing Sagarmatha National Park and improve the forest health, ecosystem services, and aesthetic values.
The Sagarmatha Nursery Project has been one of the successful projects of the Himalayan Trust funded by Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation Canada under the supervision of Nick Ledgard, Forest Research Scientist from New Zealand and dedicated work of local forestry staff. Over 30 years period 2.5 million seedlings were planted in 243 hector land from the nursery of Phurte, Tashinga, and Phortse.
Forestry Project hand over to SNP Buffer Zone in 2010
In December 2010, the Sagarmatha Nursery Projects of the Himalayan Trust funded by SEHF Canada were handed over to the National Park and local Buffer Zone Committee at Nick Ledgard’s initiative. With one-year transition support in 2011, the forestry project of the Himalayan Trust ended in December 2011.