Before 2021, the area around the ranger bunkhouse at Station 2 was filled with San Francisco ornamental plants, Acacia, Mahogany, and fruit trees—planted by rangers and ranch hands as far back as the 1960s. Meanwhile, the nearby Landing area was predominantly a stretch of overgrazed grassland with poor soil, regularly burned for decades since the 1950s. The last fire was in early 2021.
Change took root in 2022 with the help of the Philippine Permaculture Association, Station 2 transformed into a thriving diversified food production area. Now, fresh produce is just a short walk away, with at least 15 plant species offering fruits, leaves, and roots. Food foraging just before every meal has become a regular practice in the station.
The once-barren landscape is now a growing food forest, where outplanted and naturally dispersed trees stand taller than the Talahib (Sacharum spontaneum), Cogon (Imperata cylindrica), Samong-Samong (Themeda triandra), and Agyon (Themeda arguens) grasses. The transformation has also brought life back to the ecosystem, with the appearance of some species that were not previously observed in the area, from insects to birds. Additionally, in a quiet and minimally disturbed no-intervention section, a pair of Eastern grass owls have made this area their home with the owls finding the perfect nesting site, welcoming three chicks that have recently fledged.
From burnt grasslands to a flourishing ecosystem, Station 2 is proof that with care and commitment, nature finds its way back.
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