Help communities to conserve Peru's Dry Forests

Dear Friends,

A Rocha Peru's Dry Forest Project has made significant strides in performing project activities over the last few months.  The project conducted Eco-school training workshops during the period within Tecapa Secondary School.  Workshops explored several topics such as medicinal plants, composting, land preparation and irrigation for planting vegetables, restoration of the dry forest ecosystem, pest control, and many more. Mi Mundo y Yo (My World and I) Eco-School also installed a garden where students planted vegetables like radish, beet, spinach, and carrots.  The harvest was distributed among the members of the eco-school.

In addition, the project team conducted a tour of the Venturosa Forest located in San Pedro de Lloc to determine the number of hectares present, to make an inventory of flora and fauna, and to observe the state of the forest.  The forest registered a richness of 6 species with Prosopis ssp "Algarrobo" dominating.  Biologist Homan Castillo Benitez helped monitor and identify birds in the Venturosa Forest.

Another important achievement has been the installation of 30 ecological cookstoves in households located in Jatanca and Santa Maria. The cookstoves were locally manufactured and constructed.   They reduce household firewood consumption.    In the most recent evaluation, locals recognized benefits to their health as using ecological stoves (with a chimney) avoids pollution inside the homes.

The project put on its first photographic event in November and December 2021.  The photography exhibition was on display at the Casa Museo Raimondi in San Pedro de Lloc, the Tecapa Primary School, and the Ex-Railway of Pacasmayo.  The exhibition showcased project photos of conservation, research, and environmental education activities to spread awareness of the project and its achievements since 2018. 

Thank you for being a part of our team of supporters to make our project a reality.  We are grateful for everything you have helped us create.

 Stay safe and well.

 A Rocha Peru

Dear Friends,

A Rocha Peru and local communities continue to protect and conserve the dry forests in Pacasmayo, La Libertad.  During the period, the project team reached an agreement to protect and conserve a new forest area within a locality called El Hornito.  The project team toured the forest area and an inventory of flora was conducted. El Hornito comprises 24.6 hectares of land across three different zones.  The conservation of the forest is affected by local logging and carob charcoal production. In the Hornito forest, the flora inventory identified a richness of 6 species including 4 botanical families, with the "Algarrobo" dominating.  Also, the project team gave a talk to the local community about solid waste management, its classification, and its importance.

Another important achievement was the establishment of an Eco-school with the Tecapa secondary school.  The Eco-school aims to carry out environmental talks and gardening with students.  Veterinarian Alejandro Pereda, Coordinator of the NGO Dryforest Conservation Programme (DRYCOP), gave a talk about the interaction between domestic animals and the fauna found in the Private Conservation Area "El Cañoncillo", as well as the disappearance of the dry forest and how it affects the communities and their agriculture.

Furthermore, the project was visited by Zoila Cruz, an independent consultant who was tasked to perform an evaluation of the project.  It identified the current status of the project and provided a basis for its development in the coming years.  Interviews were conducted with the ARPE project team and project beneficiaries across 6 localities.  The evaluation was positive and showed that the results have been achieved to a large extent and to the satisfaction of the beneficiary villagers and small farmers. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the project but we were able to adapt and deal with this unforeseen event.

Currently, we are planning the extension of La Libertad Dry Forest Project in Pacasmayo for another cycle to ensure the continuity of activities and sustainability in restoring, and conserving dry forest landscapes.

Thank you for your incredible support. 

Stay safe and well.

A Rocha Peru 

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