EXPLORE TIMBERLAND@ San Mateo,Rizal, PHILIPPINES

Explore Timberland

Discover an eco-sanctuary in which the restorative energies of nature meld with urban life's conveniences. Amidst rolling hills, forested valleys, and terraced farms, be simply a breath away from the modern comforts. Experience a natural habitat purely for everyday living: Timberland Heights. This 677-sprawl of agroforest farm estates and residential resort communities is a mere 15-20-minute drive from the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City. At an elevation twice that of Antipolo City, this effortlessly breezy mountain retreat affords a panoramic view from Laguna de Bay to Mount Arayat. High above congested Metropolitan Manila, wake up to the wonders of clean, pure air and a cool, windy atmosphere permeating the tranquil, open spaces. Seek daily refuge amidst a backdrop of lush foliage and picturesque vistas. Bask in the essence of what is called life. Nurture your family ideals. Together, realize the joys of adventure along the 24-km Nature Trails that winds through the scenic Greenways. Unwind and be pampered at the well-appointed Timberland Sports and Nature Club. Immerse in the life-preserving atmosphere of the Agroforestry Center. Sheltered by nature, surrounded by family and friends, you will be secure yet free. You will thrive in a balanced, sustainable community teeming with freshness and radiance. Here, find an everyday paradise you can naturally call home. Site Seeing At twice the elevation of neighboring Antipolo City, this ecologically balanced, self-sustainable locale is blessed with temperate, cool climate ideal for nature and nurture. Journey to the possibilities that await at Timberland Height Marketing Pavilion Entry Marker Gateway Agroforestry Center Nature Trails Pondopo Huts Visitors' Center Macroviews Towering over the crowded and polluted metro city at 350 meters above sea level, this master-planned, eco-social neighborhood reveals that beauty and quiet need never be inachievable luxuries. Our Agroforestry WHAT IS AGROFORESTRY Agroforestry is a land-use management system that combines the production of trees with agricultural crops, animals and/or other resources in the same area. It aims to increase or sustain productivity while maintaining ecological stability. It also hopes to increase income for improved quality of life. WHAT CAN WE GET FROM AGROFORESTRY Agroforestry promotes self-sufficiency. You can optimize land use to increase production and satisfy needs. Trees and other plants supply life-giving oxygen and help purify the air. They also sequester carbon by absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere and incorporate them in their biomass. Trees also provide us with fuel wood, raw materials for construction and other needs. They also serve as barriers for protecting food crops against soil erosion and destructive wind; and provide fodder to animals and materials for organic fertilizer. Animal wastes could be used as fertilizer while food crops provide for subsistence and cash needs. Good interaction among these components serves as the primary step in attaining agroforestry’s twin goals of production and protection. Ecologically, agroforestry helps rehabilitate and preserve the environment through soil and water conservation in sloping lands. Tree roots hold the soil together thus minimizing erosion and eventually the occurrence of floods during rainy season. Tree canopies also help conserve the soil from the erosive impact of raindrops. It does not only intercept large amounts of rainfall but also the incoming radiation depending on the percent of canopy coverage, leaf structure and crown stratification. The leaf litter and humus built up under the tree stands control the flow of water and allow it to percolate into the soil. While contributing to conservation strategies, trees also serve as “nutrient pumps” and improve soil fertility. Nitrogen-fixing trees are able to fix nitrogen gas from the atmosphere and convert them to ammonia. These nutrients are then returned to the soil through the litter fall or when the prunings are applied as mulch or green manure (organic fertilizer). During decomposition, the prunings release the nutrients and increase organic matter in the soil thereby improving soil fertility, soil structure, infiltration and moisture-holding capacity. Efficient utilization of water and nutrients in the soil profile is achieved by intercropping deep-rooted crops with shallow-rooted species. This enables the trees to minimize competition for water and nutrients far below the soil surface. All the protective and ameliorative roles of agroforestry discussed could result to long-term benefits particularly in the overall improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the subsistence upland farmers. As the upland ecosystem is properly conserved through agroforestry, it follows that improved productivity would be sustained through time. The stable production of goods and services, in turn, ensures self-sufficiency in food, fuel, fodder and other necessities. The extra income could also be used for other social benefits such as clothing, shelter, medical care and education of their children. All of these can contribute to the general improvement in the quality of life of the farmers. WHAT MAKES A GOOD AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM? Agroforestry systems should be productive Generates direct benefits such as food, fodder, feed for fish and livestock, fuel, polewood/wood, other products such as gums, resins, latex, oil, herbal medicine, etc. Produces Indirect benefits or “service roles” such as soil and water conservation, fertility improvement, microclimate amelioration, live fencing, etc. Increases income Agroforestry systems should be sustainable Employs soil and water conservation strategies to ensure long-term productivity Can withstand sudden changes in weather, epidemic and market prices Requires putting some forms of incentives into the technology to ensure the adoption of conservation practices especially those that are operating close to the margin of subsistence Agroforestry systems should be easily adopted and socially acceptable Technologies should be culturally acceptable and easily adoptable Directly involves the farmers in the design and planning of agroforestry systems to ensure adoption Consistent with technical, financial and manpower capabilities of the local people/target clients SOME OF PRACTICED AGROFORESTRY IN THE PHILIPPINES Alley cropping system Also known as hedgerow intercropping system, the alley cropping system is most often practiced in gently to moderately sloping areas. It involves the planting of leguminous trees or shrubs as hedgerows along contours. Aside from serving as physical barriers against soil erosion, the hedgerows provide beneficial effects on the associated crops. The leaves can be pruned for organic fertilizer, used as fodder for livestock, or serve as mulch to control moisture loss. However, trees compete for sunlight, space, water and nutrient uptake of the food crops. Hence, trees that could withstand frequent pruning are used to allow greater light penetration for the crops planted along the alleys. Deep-rooted trees are also preferred to minimize competition for water and nutrients in the soil. Nitrogen-fixing trees or shrubs are also preferred as hedgerows. This system is also best exemplified by the Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT 1) developed by the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC) in Bansalan, Davao del Sur. Multistorey system. This system comprises the production of mixed species of trees and food crops occupying different canopy levels. Trees and shrubs often occupy the upper layer while the lower layer is made up of shade-tolerant crops like banana, coffee, pineapple and others. The series of canopy layers protect the soil against the erosive impact of rainfall thereby reducing soil erosion and surface run-off. However, the upper layer of the tree canopy reduces light penetration for the crops underneath. Thus, shade-tolerant crops are grown underneath and branch pruning or thinning of overstorey trees are applied when necessary. Tree-crop grazing system Cattle, goats, sheep and other animals are allowed to graze freely in between the large trees in the relatively mature tree plantations of the tree-crop grazing system. This system may also be adopted in coconut plantations provided that the dungs of large ruminants are regularly collected for organic fertilizer. Regular collection should be done because dungs serve as breeding areas of rhinoceros beetles which are pests of coconut. Live fence system Trees can serve as fences by growing rows of palatable trees or shrubs around a certain grassland area enclosing the grazing animals inside. Aside from the trees’ role as fence, they can be managed (e.g. regular top pruning to encourage more lateral branching) such that the enclosed animals can browse on the low-lying branches serving as fodder supplement. Protein bank system This involves the intensive planting of fodder trees/shrubs and pasture grasses on a small plot. Leguminous fodder trees or shrubs (e.g. ipil-ipil, kakawate, Desmodium, etc.) serve as supplementary source of protein for livestock. In this system, the fodder trees or shrubs may be established as small plots on certain portions of the farm or pasture areas. These areas are planted intensively for maximum fodder production. The areas are also fenced off and regularly pruned. The top and branch prunings are fed to the animals through the “cut and carry” system. FOR SITE TRIPPING: Call or Text: ( 0926)557-0824 LOOK FOR: Maria Theresa V.Camangian