Help communities to conserve Peru's Dry Forests

Dear Friends,

2021 is off to a great start and, in spite of COVID, we are making significant strides on our goal to help communities restore, conserve and sustainably manage dry forest landscapes in Pacasmayo.   

Over the period, we explored the possibility of rezoning the Algarrobal forest in San Pedro de Lloc.  We performed a community survey to gauge interest.  We also visited the Algarrobal forest and held a meeting with the San Pedro de Lloc Municipality.

Apart from formalizing new conservation agreements, producing hundreds of seedlings from a local nursery, and reforesting 1.07 hectares with native Algarrobo trees (Prosopis spp.), we continued to conduct monthly monitoring visits.  Our last visit monitored over 7 hectares of reforested areas. During these visits, there was a monitoring of plant growth as well as an assessment for the application of hydrogel and garlic-based repellent to address pests. 

In addition, key flora species were monitored within our intervention zone located in the Cañoncillo Private Conservation Area.   The three top flora species identified included Algarrobo (Prosopis ssp), Cun cun (Vallesia glabra), and Pial (Scutia spicata).

The research team obtained data on firewood consumption, and the data demonstrated at least a 22% reduction in firewood consumption between the ecological and rustic cookstoves. We also commenced training of the “buddys” who will be in charge of monitoring the ecological stoves installed in the towns of Jatanca and Santa Maria going forward.

The Muchick Local Conservation Group of Santonte met to discuss how to regularize the use of forest resources in the Tronco Prieto forest with local ranchers and herders.  An agreement was reached, whereupon a contribution would be given for use of the dry forest areas. 

Some training workshops were also held.  The local members were educated on topics such as pest control using plant extracts such as lemon verbena and tobacco,  the rights and duties regarding forestry management and Forestry and Wildlife Law, and Medicinal Plants and ancestral knowledge that helps treat different flu symptoms.

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude.  Thank you for being a part of our team of supporters that are making our project a reality. We are grateful for everything you have helped us create. 

Thank you for your belief and support.

A Rocha Peru 

A Rocha Peru continued to work hard, in the final months of 2020, towards our goal of helping communities to restore, conserve, and sustainably manage dry forest landscapes in Pascasmayo.   We formalized new conservation agreements, produced hundreds of seedlings from a local nursery, and reforested 1.6 hectares with native Algarrobo trees (Prosopis spp.) and with the help of community members.  The reforestation efforts included a collaboration with the local municipality of Pacasmayo to restore parts of La Yuca dry forest and the Pascamayo Ecological Park.  Also, agroforestry plants were delivered to farmers to restore degraded land on their land.  The team continued to conduct monitoring visits of the reforested area and, in December, the team monitored over 5.8 hectares. 

In November, the project installed 30 fuel-efficient cookstoves for family beneficiaries in Santa María and Jatanca, and baseline surveys were conducted. These stoves cut fuel consumption in half, reducing the need to cut down trees, and offer better air quality, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Our project has been so successful that we are hoping to continue the construction of more cookstoves in 2021.

In December, some bird species of the Canoncillo forest were identified with the help of biologist Homan Castillo Benitez including endemic birds like the fasciated wren, white-edged oriole, and Baird's flycatcher.  

From October until December, the Agricultural Cooperative of Tecapa (CAU) and the Muchick Conservation Group received training on several topics such as the reactivation of tourism within the Canoncillo forest, the impact that COVID-19 is having on forests, and forest fires.  Also, conservation groups continued their monthly patrols and surveillance of the dry forests.

In regards to the pandemic,  La Libertad is currently on very high alert with Peru's rising wave of infections.  A Rocha Peru continues to work hard on the project, complying with all the necessary COVID-19 protocols and government regulations. 

A HUGE thank you for your incredible support and generosity that helps us to continue with our important work to restore, conserve and sustainably manage dry forest landscapes with local communities in Peru, so thank you!

Stay safe and well.

A Rocha Peru continues to navigate through the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and in July, after a four-month absence in the field, the Dry Forest Project recommenced some field activities in Pacasmayo.  Initially, the project team reviewed all project activities and assessed the state of  the Cañoncillo and Tronco Prieto dry forests. The project plan was amended to correct the impacts from the COVID-19 quarantine and to ensure that our objectives will still be achieved.

We have prioritised first and foremost, the safety and well-being of all staff and the local community, implementing COVID-19 protocols and government regulations for the team to rigorously follow.

The reforestation areas were impacted by our absence in the field and in order to restore deteriorated plants, a planting campaign was conducted in August, replacing 143 plants across 2.98 hectares of existing reforested areas in Santonte, Jatanca, Bosque La Yuca, Santa Maria.  It included the help of 31 people.   In addition, an additional planting campaign was conducted in new areas across 0.37 hectares in Santonte and San Padro de Lloc planting 60 Algarrobo with the participation of 12 people. To further protect and nurture the trees, assisted natural regeneration techniques continue to be applied within the intervention area.

Monitoring visits resumed in August, evaluating plant health in over 3.35 hectares of the reforested areas. During the monitoring visits the team observed a presence of animals such as the Peruvian miner (Geositta peruviana), the Peruvian lizard (Microlophus peruvianus), and an owl (Athene cunicularia).

The conservation groups of Tecapa, Muchick-Santonte and the Cerro Pitura Protection Group suspended patrols in the forests during the quarantine period and as a result the forests experienced several changes such as increased illegal logging. In partnership with A Rocha Peru, the conservation groups resumed patrols and surveillance of the dry forests in August to help avoid illegal logging of the forests. In addition, the Muchick group installed the gate in the entrance of Santonte to allow greater control over illegal logging and carried out a forest inventory.

A HUGE thank you for your incredible support and generosity that helps us to continue with our important work to restore, conserve and sustainably manage dry forest landscapes with local communities in Peru, so thank you!

Stay safe and well.

Links:

• How the COVID-19 pandemic has affected A Rocha Peru's work

The Dry Forest Project continues to work towards achieving its goal of collaborating with local communities to restore, conserve, and sustainably manage dry forest landscapes.  Since 2019, we have succeeded in reforesting nearly 9 hectares with 971 native seedlings!

In February, the project formalized two agreements to protect one hectare of degraded dry forest areas in La Yuca forest and a private area surrounding agricultural land in Santonte.  These areas were reforested with the help of community members.  A total of 190 seedlings were planted.

Community members participated in the monitoring of previously reforested areas in Santonte, Jatanca, Pablo Nuevo and Santa Maria and an irrigation alternative, called the Tree T-PEE, was implemented.  Muchick and CAU Tecapa Conservation Groups were supported in their monthly meetings, a natural regeneration activity to the Canoncillo forest and some Dry Forest Patrols were also carried out.

Furthermore, local community members were trained on the importance of the dry forest, the indiscriminate use of pesticides and how to make biol, a natural fertilizer.  The project also held an environmental education talk with children in Santonte about the conservation and protection of the endemic and endangered lizard, the ‘cañan’ (Dicrodon guttulatum).

As the world is staggering to come to terms with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have definitely not escaped its grip in Perú. On March 16, the Peruvian government declared a State of Emergency, enforcing a nationwide quarantine and introduced strict measures such as border closures, including the suspension of national and international travel. The Peruvian population has been in strict isolation in their homes and life as we know it has come to a halt.

Due to the State of Emergency, the Dry Forest Project field activities, meetings and workshops in La Libertad have been suspended. As we adapt to these unprecedented circumstances, we continue to serve our communities as best we can with a small team working from home, carrying out administrative and operational activities, including planning, fundraising and communications.   A Rocha Peru has needed to conduct a full review and reprioritize activities planning in hope to resume the project at the start of July 2020.

A Rocha Peru would like to thank all those who have supported us with their donations during the GlobalGiving Climate Action Campaign. Every donation helps us to continue our Dry Forest project in Pacasmayo. Thank you all for your incredible support. In times like this, we’re reminded of how interconnected we all are. Thank you for being part of our community. Without you, none of it is possible.

Stay safe and well.

A Rocha Peru is commencing its third year of the Dry Forest Conservation project in Pacasmayo, helping to collaborate with local communities to restore, conserve, and sustainably manage dry forest landscapes.

In January 2020, a new conservation agreement was established to protect 0.28 has of degraded forest in Santa Maria, adjacent to an agricultural zone. This resulted in the project undertaking its third planting campaign, reforesting the 0.28 hectares by planting 60 seedlings with 6 community members.   

The project, in collaboration with local beneficiaries, conducted monthly monitoring visits of nearly 700 trees that had been planted in the reforestation phases of 2019. Irrigation alternatives are currently being identified to help better protect the trees.

The local conservation groups of CAU Tecapa and Muchick-Santonte continued to have monthly meetings and undertake their monthly patrols of the dry forest, to identify illegal logging and fuelwood collection activities in the conservation areas. In addition, in January participants from the Muchick group were trained in bare-root reforestation methodology which was then applied in their routine patrol to the Tronco Prieto forest.

With regards to capacity building, A Rocha Peru continues to give workshops to transfer knowledge and capacity to restore, conserve and sustainably manage dry forest landscapes. In December, 25 local community members were trained on leadership and ecotourism in natural protected areas. In January, 6 people from the local community were trained on Agroforestry, its importance and application.

The project meets monthly with artisans. At their December meeting, they held a Christmas celebration with a sale of handicrafts and in January, they expressed the diversity of the Canoncillo forest through environmental drawings learning a new painting technique on canvas.