By Liliana Usvat
Blog 224 -365
Mexico
Everything start with a person. In Mexico was Sergio De Lara.
While living in Mexico’s third-largest city, Monterrey, Sergio De Lara noticed a distinct lack of urban forestry, most pointedly during the city’s 50-degree summers.
What began as a small grass-roots collective digging up previously-sealed sidewalk planters grew to a corporate-sponsored non-profit NGO (going by the name Reforestación Extrema) complete with volunteer teams re-foresting parks and city streets all over.
The city was lacking 8000 trees. The organization planned to plant every week end trees.
Peru
Lack of knowledge of sustainable land management has led to overgrazing the destruction of native forest vegetation on the Andean mountain slopes, and further diminished livelihoods. These factors combined have resulted in extreme poverty and malnutrition.
The project aims to plant around 1.2 million trees across 1,000 hectares of degraded grazing lands to mitigate environmental degradation, increase household incomes, and to sequester carbon into the landscape. This will be achieved through the establishment of nurseries in each of the participating communities, producing a range of trees including exotic pines for timber production, native species to establish conservation areas and increase biodiversity, and fruit trees to help combat malnutrition and increase family incomes
Africa
Deforestation is frequently listed as one of the more serious threats facing human kind today. Between 100,000 and 200,000 square kilometers of forest area are lost annually, contributing to the extinction of at least 17,500 species each year. Furthermore, it is estimated that deforestation is responsible for almost 30% of total global carbon dioxide emissions (1). West Africa is experiencing some of the highest numbers of forest loss. In all, Africa loses nearly 10 million acres of forest each year (1), contributing to desertification and changes in rainfall patterns.
Causes
The causes of deforestation differ from country to country and involve social and economic factors. Trees are cut and land cleared to make way for agriculture and cattle. Rising populations within and near forested area have increased the pressure on the forests for building supplies, fuel, paper products, and land to grow food. In West Africa, and Togo specifically, much deforestation is the result of wood gathering and charcoal production for cooking.
While it is difficult for individual organizations to halt large scale logging and mining without governmental or international programs, Alaffia organization believe there are options for smaller scale programs. First, providing alternative fuel options for individuals and families can stop a large part of deforestation caused by firewood and charcoal production.
Each year since 2006, Alaffia organization donated 1,000 fruit and forages trees to farmers in central Togo. Fruit and forage trees planted in and around farmer's fields have
several impacts, including reducing soil erosion, improving soil
quality, providing food, fuel, and habitat.
Here another story
In the early 1970s, Dave and Grace Deppner served as volunteers in the Philippines, where they witnessed the human tragedy brought on by illegal logging and unsustainable land management systems. Working with community leaders in nearby villages, the Deppners found a way to offer hope. They revitalized degraded lands by providing farmers with tree seed, technical training, and on-site planning assistance. People responded enthusiastically, joining in to save their homes and way of life.
After returning from their overseas assignments they continued what they had started, communicating by mail with rural community leaders, providing information, seeds, and training materials. After many years of informal operations, Trees for the Future (‘TREES’) was incorporated as a 501 (c) (3) public charity in Maryland on August 14, 1989. Over the years TREES has assisted thousands of communities in planting millions of trees in 19 countries including Ghana, which have restored life to land that was previously degraded or abandoned.
Blog 224 -365
Mexico
Everything start with a person. In Mexico was Sergio De Lara.
While living in Mexico’s third-largest city, Monterrey, Sergio De Lara noticed a distinct lack of urban forestry, most pointedly during the city’s 50-degree summers.
What began as a small grass-roots collective digging up previously-sealed sidewalk planters grew to a corporate-sponsored non-profit NGO (going by the name Reforestación Extrema) complete with volunteer teams re-foresting parks and city streets all over.
The city was lacking 8000 trees. The organization planned to plant every week end trees.
In the Andean region of Peru, families
rely solely on agriculture for food security and income generation.
However, climate-related impacts such as irregular rains, hailstorms,
frosts and extremes of temperatures, have made growing crops and
breeding animals increasingly difficult.
Lack of knowledge of sustainable land management has led to overgrazing the destruction of native forest vegetation on the Andean mountain slopes, and further diminished livelihoods. These factors combined have resulted in extreme poverty and malnutrition.
Project location
The project will take place in six
communities in the district of Yanaoca – Kasani, Pongoña, Jilayhua,
Ccolliry, Hanccoyo and Hampatura – near Cusco in the Southern Andes
region of Peru.
The project aims to plant around 1.2 million trees across 1,000 hectares of degraded grazing lands to mitigate environmental degradation, increase household incomes, and to sequester carbon into the landscape. This will be achieved through the establishment of nurseries in each of the participating communities, producing a range of trees including exotic pines for timber production, native species to establish conservation areas and increase biodiversity, and fruit trees to help combat malnutrition and increase family incomes
Africa
Deforestation is frequently listed as one of the more serious threats facing human kind today. Between 100,000 and 200,000 square kilometers of forest area are lost annually, contributing to the extinction of at least 17,500 species each year. Furthermore, it is estimated that deforestation is responsible for almost 30% of total global carbon dioxide emissions (1). West Africa is experiencing some of the highest numbers of forest loss. In all, Africa loses nearly 10 million acres of forest each year (1), contributing to desertification and changes in rainfall patterns.
Causes
The causes of deforestation differ from country to country and involve social and economic factors. Trees are cut and land cleared to make way for agriculture and cattle. Rising populations within and near forested area have increased the pressure on the forests for building supplies, fuel, paper products, and land to grow food. In West Africa, and Togo specifically, much deforestation is the result of wood gathering and charcoal production for cooking.
While it is difficult for individual organizations to halt large scale logging and mining without governmental or international programs, Alaffia organization believe there are options for smaller scale programs. First, providing alternative fuel options for individuals and families can stop a large part of deforestation caused by firewood and charcoal production.
Here another story
In the early 1970s, Dave and Grace Deppner served as volunteers in the Philippines, where they witnessed the human tragedy brought on by illegal logging and unsustainable land management systems. Working with community leaders in nearby villages, the Deppners found a way to offer hope. They revitalized degraded lands by providing farmers with tree seed, technical training, and on-site planning assistance. People responded enthusiastically, joining in to save their homes and way of life.
After returning from their overseas assignments they continued what they had started, communicating by mail with rural community leaders, providing information, seeds, and training materials. After many years of informal operations, Trees for the Future (‘TREES’) was incorporated as a 501 (c) (3) public charity in Maryland on August 14, 1989. Over the years TREES has assisted thousands of communities in planting millions of trees in 19 countries including Ghana, which have restored life to land that was previously degraded or abandoned.
