Reforestation project ho avy – update October 2009

Ho avy launched a new season for conserving and restoring the unique Spiny Forest in southwestern Madagascar on the 24th October 2009 by joining the global climate change action movement 350.org. Ho avy’s local partner, the association FIMPAHARA has mobilized the Ranobe community to participate in the action day and plant a new nursery of 350 seeds of 13 native tree species. Additionally they transplanted 446 saplings of 18 native species from an existing nursery to their crop fields as part of their agroforestry scheme.

Several thousand seeds of over 50 native species have been collected by 12 FIMPAHARA members who have participated in a seed harvest competition and will plant these seeds within the next few weeks.

Discussions with WWF Madagascar opened opportunities for ho avy’s participation in refining the management plan and delineating special zones for community conservation, ecological restoration and monitoring within the Ranobe protected area to be declared by the end of 2009.

FIMPAHARA has established home vegetable gardens, utilizing recycled gray water from dish washing, and continues building compost to be added to their new vegetable beds.

Ho avy’s partners and specialist from the University of Michigan visited the project’s field site over the past two weeks, sharing their engineering expertise to design a biogas digester, and have analyzed crop revenues, agroforestry improvements and micro financing options for the community.