Help communities to conserve Peru's Dry Forests

This report covers the period September-November 2019 (inclusive). The project is currently delivering the second phase of reforestation activities, which commenced in November and will conclude in December 2019. To date 96 tree seedlings have been planted, from the 330 tree seedlings produced in the local municipal nursery as at the end of August. For further detail on this planting Campaign please refer to attachment 1 which outlines beneficiaries and number of trees planted by location. Trees planted earlier in the year as part of the project's initial restoration activities are growing well and being monitored on a monthly basis.

The local conservation groups of Tecapa and Muchick-Santonte continue to undertake at least monthly patrols of the dry forest, in partnership with A Rocha Peru, to identify illegal logging and fuelwood collection activities in the conservation areas. They are more established and continue to undertake capacity building through meetings and planned activities with A Rocha Peru. The Muchick group has established a micro business focused on the production of algarrobina syrup with sales of 800 soles or approximately 250 dollars as at October.

With regards to capacity building, the project has continued to deliver workshops on the production of traditional crafts using sustainable dry forest resources. The workshops focused on basket making with different local grasses, bark and dry matter harvested from the dry forest floor, including ‘viruli’, ‘hinea’, ‘carrizo’ and “junco”, as well as weaving with plastic bags. A total of 14 sessions have been held since June with an average of 13 participants per session of which 66% were female. 

A Rocha Peru held a number of workshops in partnership with other local and regional agencies during this period, including a specialist workshop on forestry legislation, in partnership with the Agrarian Agency of Pacasmayo, and a specialist workshop on local fauna in el Cañoncillo dry forest, in partnership with the NGO Conservacción.

Finally A Rocha Peru and the local community participated in World Clean up day on 21 September 2019 in the El Cañoncillo dry forest. This was a successful community event that encouraged participation and a positive approach to caring and conserving the local environment. 

• December Project Update report (PDF)
  

This report covers the period June-August 2019 (inclusive). The project is currently preparing for reforestation activities planned for November 2019. Native tree seedlings planted in the local municipal nurser total 330 and are growing well and as planned, measuring 15-20cm high at the end of August. Trees planted earlier in the year as part of the project's initial restoration activities are growing well and being monitored on a monthly basis.

The local conservation groups of Tecapa and Muchick-Santonte have undertaken several dry forest patrols to identify illegal logging and fuelwood collection activities in the conservation areas. The patrols were successful in halting several community members collecting wood without permission and in educating them about the protection of the dry forest. This is an important activity in supporting local communities to manage dry forest conservation areas long term.

A number of capacity building activities have taken place. Three environmental education sessions have been delivered to local community members on the topics of ecotourism, local flora and fauna and Dry Forest project progress, with the participation of 39 community members. Children at 6 primary and secondary schools in the area participated in 12 coordinated ecoclub activities at their schools, led by A Rocha Peru, witha  total of 246 participants in these activities, which focused on waste reuse, recycling and repurposing, composting and management of the school's vegetable garden. Finally three workshops were delivered to 10 local community members on traditional basket making techniques using recovered dry forest resources, with a view to expanding local income generating potential through such activities.

There has been no planned activity around the installation of cookstoves in this quarter. This activity is scheduled to commence in the next quarter with installation complete early in 2020.