Showing posts with label Peruvian Man Reynaldo Ochoa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peruvian Man Reynaldo Ochoa. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Peruvian Man Reynaldo Ochoa, Plant 30000 Trees

By Liliana Usvat    
Blog 355-365



Here is the story of Reynaldo – Rainforest Hero, about one man's inspirational regeneration of the Amazon Rainforest

More and more permaculture projects are demonstrating that areas in rainforests, that were once biodiverse habitats for scores of species but have been logged for timber or destroyed by slash and burn agriculture, can be replanted for food, fibres and medicines. Not only will they provide resources for local people, they can also become richly biodiverse in varieties of plant and animal species. This is a win-win situation for people and the planet.

Two of the major problems affecting the area are deforestation and malnutrition.
Local people habitually clear land to grow crops such as yucca and bananas for sale. They generally have a monoculture and use a piece of land (a hectare or more) for around 2 years before clearing some new land where the soil is nutrient rich. Though each farmer generally owns just a few hectares of land the 'slash and burn' faming culture has a major impact as almost every farmer does it.


Reynaldo Ochoa, a 54 year old resident of Manu was no different. Moving to the region in the early 1980's he cut and burned forest for farming like everyone else. But he soon found a better way. He learned about permaculture farming and began to adopt its method on his own land, with great results. He uses a multitude of crops in one place which work in a sustainable manner, replacing nutrients with nitrogen fixing plants and trees while having a multilayered crop yield; he grows fruit trees with yucca and a number of other fruits and vegetables. He also began planting soft and hardwood trees. He found that the shade the trees provided actually helped his crop yield as well as protecting the land from strong winds and the damaging effects of soil erosion.

One community is learning to live in balance with their environment.



For decades the people in the Manu region of Peru have used slash-and-burn as their primary farming technique. Realizing that there would soon be no forest left if this practice continued, Reynaldo Ochoa began experimenting with different approaches to farming the land. He's now dedicated to reforesting the region and teaching residents more sustainable alternatives to deforestation, like agroforestry and permaculture.

Planting Trees with the crops the system works in balance with the nature.

The garden provide all the needs of the family. They are able to live without cutting the forest.

The Peruvian man planted 30,000 trees since it began.

Without trees the earth became barren and crops will not grow. Agroforestry help land to recover and let farmers survive without clearing the forest. The trees provide shade absorb carbon from the air and put nutrients into the soil.

It is important for families to have fresh food and live in harmony with the forest and nature.

Everything in life begin with a seed. It is the same for a plant a tree or an idea. Each tree make a difference. It is a special feeling to plant a tree and watch it grow and flourish.

 Reynaldo Ochoa help to achieve a sustainable future for Manu Region in Peru

Reynaldo and the Crees foundation begun a 'bio garden' program in 2008 helping teach local families how to grow their own vegetable gardens year round, giving them a chance at a better diet and a sustainable income through the sale of the excess. They get expert training, have the garden built and planted for them and then they are helped and monitored throughout the year. Crees and Reynaldo's vision is that in order to protect the forest and its diverse wildlife you need to engage the people in better practices which serve their needs and the forest alike.


Link

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/short-film-showcase/rain-forest-hero-plants-over-30-000-trees-to-save-the-amazon?source=relatedvideo