By Mary Blizzard-Kelly | Founding member of LRFF
The rains have begun in Costa Rica. It’s the perfect time for planting trees. Unfortunately the 8 hectares in this project can’t be planted until something is done about the African grasses that dominate the pasture. One option would be to spray the whole field with herbicides, but that would have a negative environmental impact on the area, including inhibiting the growth of newly planted trees. In addition, there are any number of animals who have made their homes in the dense matt of grasses. We don’t want to wipe out their entire habitat with poisons.
The alternative, therefore, is to use manual labor to clear multiple swaths across the field wide enough to allow young trees to grow to the point where they will out-compete the grasses. This tactic allows for a period of transition in which the species populating the area will gradually shift. It is also labor-intensive and time-consuming. We estimate it will take over a month to create enough clear space that the trees planted will be able to thrive. Of course, it will also create much-needed jobs for locals. (As in the United States, the down-turn of the economy has left many local people searching for work.)
Your help with this project will accomplish two goals. It will help provide jobs and it will begin the transformation of the last large open field on the La Reserva property back to native forest. HEADS UP! Next Wednesday, June 16th from 12 midnight to 11:59pm Global Giving will be matching all donation up to $1000/donor/project. Give a generous donation to Project Hometree on that day and remind your friends as well. Just think if you can only afford to donate $10 that donation will be $15, plus we don’t have to pay GG the 15% commission on these matching funds.
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