La Reserva Forest Foundation

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

    This year at the La Reserva Forest Foundation’s headquarters and private reserve we have been observing some important changes in the natural cycles. As I watch I am reminded of the urgency with which we began this indigenous tropical forest regeneration project. The indigenous plants (orchids, trees, shrubs etc.) are extremely late in their behavior compared with past years, yet the introduced species (citrus trees and ornamentals) are extremely early in their fruiting and flowering or are dying off. Normally the grapefruits are falling off the tree in January but this year they have already fallen in August and our beautiful orange tree is almost dead. The climate change is upon us and we are feeling it all around the world, much faster than the scientists calculated.

    Please, if you cannot help either by donating your time as a volunteer here at La Reserva or some funds to help us do it for you, then speak to everyone you know and send them to our website. Time is of the essence now as you can all see and the more of us that are working on healing the environment the better our chances of getting a foot hold and conquering the rapidly changing effects of global warming.

    Have faith, be fearless and,

                                                          LET'S GET PLANTING!

What’s Up at the La Reserva Forest Foundation

    This past week we received the commitment from two neighbors who share  Dog Creek (Quebrada de Perros) with the La Reserva forest reserve, to participate in our native forest regeneration project. In short, the LRFF will pay each of the land participants $300/hectare/year on a 5 year contract to regenerate forest on all or part of their cattle farms. In this case they have each agreed to fence off 50 meters on their side of the creek running through our reserve along the entire length of their properties (about 7 hectares). This will allow us all to create a “tree bridge” from the La Reserva forest to the next primary forest to the west of us and expand the reserves habitat, as well, along the creek.

    One neighbor in between will not listen, and is actually quite hostile. It’s unbelievable that people can react in this way, especially when we all KNOW we must begin to act NOW with urgency to heal our ailing environment.
                                             

   As disappointed as I was with his reaction, on my walk home I found a Nispero tree in ripe fruit with a large Mantled Howler Monkey group feeding in it (see photo). I ate some fruits with them, collected the seeds to germinate in our nursery (a new species to add to our 70+ native species now) and photographed them as I laughed. I also spotted another way around this surly neighbor, containing existing forest, to connect up to that western forest still.

    Here is a photograph of this neighbor’s creek bed with not one tree along its banks. He poisons with herbicides along the edge to kill any native growth. This is illegal, but we can’t dwell on that because it would detract from the positive action we stand for at the LRFF, PLANTING WHERE WE CAN HELP!

    We sent a grant proposal last week to cover this first “tree bridge” project for the next 5 years. It only came to $21,500, which includes fencing, the seedlings to be planted (1000/hectare), labor, surveying and the land owners yearly payments. Even without the grant we will be able to accomplish this with the cooperation of THE PEOPLE, who want to see this work done and will pay us through donations to do the work needed.

    In the meantime, though, wish us luck and,

                                                                  LET'S GET PLANTING!