Help communities to conserve Peru's Dry Forests

Dear nature-loving friends! 

A Rocha Peru and local communities continue to protect and conserve the dry forests in Pacasmayo, La Libertad. In May this year, the project team, coupled with the Agricultural Cooperative of Tecapa (CAU) and the Cañoncillo Forest Craftswomen Association, conducted a harvesting campaign of Gallinazo lake.  The lake is a tourist attraction within the El Canoncillo forest, home to hundreds of ancient Algarrobo. However, creeping weeds and bushes have been obscuring the view of the lake.  Harvesting controls the aquatic weeds, such as cattail (mace reeds), that flourish in the area. 

In addition, in July, the project conducted its first reforestation campaign of the year.  Reforestation campaigns increase forest cover and repopulate the dry forest landscapes with Algarrobo and other native trees. The campaign reforested 3.41 hectares of land with the collaboration of Mr. Luis Castañeda and his friends. Two hundred and sixty carob trees (Prosopis spp) and forty Epino trees (Acacia Macracantha) were planted in San Pedro de Lloc, close to El Muerto lake.

In July, the project also held a workshop for rice producers in Santander to increase rice crop production and quality.  The project also donated sixty agroforestry tree species to smallholder farmers of the local community, including apple, orange, mango, Japanese plum, and guaba.  By using agroforestry practices and combining fruit trees with existing crops, the farmers can enhance crop production and generate income from the sale of the fruit.   It can also improve land health by restoring degraded agricultural land, reducing soil erosion, and providing much-needed shade for workers and livestock.

Other achievements include the installation of ecological cookstoves and guinea pigs donations to community members. In July, we delivered the kits for the ecological stoves, and in August, the project installed ten cookstoves in households from San Demetrio and Pueblo Nuevo.  The project hired a local mason to install the cookstoves.  The project also gave guinea pigs to promote micro-livestock breeding.  This new initiative hopes to address food security in rural areas. Guinea pigs are not only a source of animal protein but also their manure can fertilize agriculture fields and kitchen gardens. In traditional Peruvian households, the rearing environment for small animals is usually the kitchen, where the heat source protects guinea pigs from sudden temperature changes.

Stay tuned for more developments in the coming months!

Thank you for partnering with us!  Without you, none of it is possible.

Forever grateful,

A Rocha Peru