In Sir Walter Raleigh’s “Discovery of Guiana” in 1595, he refers to the “large, rich and beautiful Empire of Guiana”, abundant with tropical rainforests. Indeed, according to data from The Global Forest Watch (GFW), trees make up 91% of Guyana, representing 3% of the Amazon rainforest which accounts for 20% of the Earth’s oxygen.
As such, there has never been as urgent a need for responsible forestry management to support the long term economic, social and ecological mosaic of Guyana’s trees as now. With the increasing international demand for sustainable development in an industry often tarnished by irresponsible developers, Variety Woods & Greenheart Ltd (VWL) stands out strikingly as a pioneering and innovative Company committed to exemplifying the highest standards of eco-forestry.
For more than 30 years, this Guyanese owned Company has been in the forefront of sustainable forest management: the first local Company to receive international recognition for Guyana timber products with its Verified Legal Origin (VLO) Statement of Certification from the global Rainforest Alliance.
The company is fully committed to Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) practices. VWL has a functional Chain of Custody (CoC) system in place to monitor the flow of its timber products from tree stump to end user. Additionally, the entire operation is compliant to the Reduced Impact Logging (RIL) guidelines which encompass forest planning, infrastructural development, tree harvesting and transportation.
Apart from its Biodiversity Reserves, VWL has demonstrated a deep stewardship towards protecting the environment and its natural inhabitants by voluntarily setting aside additional sections of its forest concessions for the protection of the endangered Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) and Giant River Otters (Pteronura brasiliensis). The Company also partnered with Leaders of Cat Conservation entities to conduct fauna surveys within its forest concession boundaries and provide estimates of the Jaguar densities, prey abundance and overall diversity of medium to large mammals within the lowland forests of Guyana.
Additionally, a significant forest area has also been declared closed to harvesting to preserve the aesthetic values of the “Canister Falls” area.
VWL’s exemplary track record for its efforts and focus towards protection and conservation of biodiversity within its forest concession is noted and acknowledged by the various governmental agencies, NGOs and other stakeholders throughout Guyana. VWL’s concessions are open to various research groups who wish to utilize the area for surveys and studies.
Variety Woods & Greenheart Ltd (VWL) was also awarded with the esteemed “GREEN AWARD” from Guyana’s Environmental Agency (EPA) for their outstanding role in Sound Environmental Practices in all facets of their operations.