From land mines to lifelines, Lebanon's Shouf is a rare restoration success story - Mongabay.com
The Shouf Biosphere Reserve is a living laboratory experimenting with degraded ecosystem recovery in ways that also boost the well-being of the human communities living there. Previous conservation efforts in the area involved using land mines and armed guards to stem illegal logging and reduce fire risk. Today, the reserve builds local skills and creates jobs in a bid to help the local community through Lebanon's severe economic crisis. Managers are also employing adaptive techniques to build resilience in this climate change-hit landscape. SHOUF BIOSPHERE RESERVE, Lebanon — Late afternoon light falls across Talal Riman's weathered face as he stands under the ancient cedars he's tended for almost three decades in Lebanon's Shouf Biosphere Reserve (SBR). Riman used to defend these trees against would-be loggers and human-caused forest fires with a pump-action shotgun. Now, the SBR team protects what's left of Lebanon's iconic cedars and the surrounding landscap...