The first venture in our new initiative is the Kandoo Forest - a project to develop a plot of ex-agricultural land and transform it into a wild forest full of native species. Over the next few years we would love to develop our Wild Kandoo initiative to include multiple projects and schemes that contribute to the rewilding of ecosystems and regaining natural pathways in what is quickly becoming an urbanised world.
Kandoo Forest
How did the Kandoo Forest begin?
As one of the larger cities in Bhutan, Paro Valley has a relatively high population in comparison to the rest of Bhutan, and higher numbers of people requires greater demand for food and accommodation. This demand has caused the valley to become 'humanised' to produce enough sustenance for the population who need it. The negative impact of this is that the valley has almost entirely been stripped of it's wild landscape to make room for agriculture. The Bhutanese Government recognise the need for environmental change and are actively encouraging the creation of conservation and rewilding projects to increase wilderness development.
The Wild Kandoo initiative was kick started in 2024 when Tandin, our manager in Bhutan, posed the suggestion of creating a Kandoo Forest on a plot of land on the outskirts of Paro. The idea was to rewild this plot of land, providing a green space for the local community and wildlife. This idea developed into a plan, and after acquiring a plot of land from the Bhutanese government, Tandin began to put the plan into action.
Where is the Kandoo Forest?
The Kandoo Forest is located on the edge of Paro, to the North East of the main city centre in the Paro Valley. It is situated in the tributary valley to the north of Sanga Chhoekor, which has a great viewpoint that looks over Paro and the surrounding mountains.
To view the location of the forest on Google Earth follow this link.
How will our guests be involved?
Our Kandoo team in Bhutan are taking the lead on this new venture. They are collecting together volunteers from the local community, trees, planting equipment and protective structures to rewild this overworked plot of old agricultural land into a wildlife oasis. Guests who visit Bhutan will visit the plot on their day in Paro and join the venture by helping to plant their own tree to add to the forest.
The forest will be funded through our Bhutanese sales; for every participant that goes to Bhutan, $10 will go towards buying saplings, seeds and equipment. As the forest grows you will be able to follow our progress below.