By Roberta Ward Smiley | CEO and founder
We have a big job to do on this project. Our goal, before we can implement this valuable project, is more than $91,000 of which we’ve received $275. Thank you for your generous support for this reforestation project.
This past week LRFF submitted a grant proposal to fund two of the five projects in this area of Costa Rica, 70 hectares total (173 acres). Now we are freed up to look for other grant opportunities to help fund the Reforesting the Deforestation project.
As you know this 24 hectares (60 acres) was deforested in the mid 1960’s to create cattle pasture by Alvaro Jenkins who is still the owner of this farm in Buena Vista de Guatuso, more than 1000 hectares of land. Alvaro is the prime witness of the effects that deforestation has in the tropics. He remembers all of the animals and can point to where certain gigantic trees stood when he had them cut down. Talk about hands on experience, what better way to learn the value of restoring the same forests he destroyed fifty years ago.
And the double surprise this project brings is the laborers Alvaro used way back then were Maleku tribe members, their manager and Alvaro’s right hand man, Panchito. Jiimmy Acosta Elizondo, LRFF’s Field Director is Panchito’s grandson. Crazy, eh.
Now LRFF, the Maleku and Jimmy are working to restore those same forests that the Maleku depend upon for a full life. Please share this project with others and we’ll get it planted in 2013.
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