Friends, I’m a doctor! Why? Let’s read over the illness that I can treat: my bark has been relied upon for traditional medical treatments in different cultures, including Vietnam, to treat rheumatism, dysentery, diarrhea and urinary issues.

And in Fiji, I was even considered sacred, and bowls were made with my wood to serve the island’s traditional beverage, yogona.

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Moreover, my roots are also very useful for the ecosystem, or we are the warrriors in this part. Our roots protect the soil along waterways, alongside mangroves, and safeguard against erosion and wind damage; our roots serves as a source of nitrogen fixation which improves soil quality.

Look at my trunk, that’s good shelters for nesting birds as well as a food source for pollinators. They are our siblings supporting together.

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When someone mentions us, no one denies our economic values! Let’s see with me now:

• My trunk is very durable and water proof. That’s why I am popularly used in construction projects. In Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, people use my limber to make bridges, railway cars, houses and furniture, in addition to home goods such as utensils, walking sticks and ornamental carvings. Numerous seafaring cultures have relied on it to construct masts, hulls and oars in addition to canoes.

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• My wood is prized as a luxury material for flooring, furniture and musical instruments. Gold flecks that occur naturally in the reddish timber make ourselves particularly popular amongst Chinese consumers, who have increased export demand across the region.