Start Date:   Febuary 1, 2005
Main Contact:   Chuwi Tinamit, Valeriano Pichaya (E.D.)
Project Manager:   Mateo Paneitz, E.D.
Current status:   In Progress

Purpose

In a country so mountainous and erosion-prone, where the vast majority of inhabitants derive their living from subsistence agriculture, the rate of deforestation in Guatemala is alarming. Most rural Guatemalans rely on inefficient wood burning stoves or open fires for food preparation and heat, so the demand for firewood is great. To address the specific problem of deforestation in Comalapa and its surrounding areas, Parque Chimiyá features a nursery where native trees are sprouted from seed and grown until they are ready to be planted in the ground.

Education

In keeping with Long Way Home's educational mission, we aim to involve the local community in every phase of the reforestation project. Children who participate in activities that teach about reforestation have been rewarded with their own baby trees to take home and plant. Long Way Home interns teach lessons on the environment to school groups who help out in the nursery. In 2007 our tree nursery provided 500 trees for a nearby elementary school's Tree Planting Day. During this activity Long Way Home and AIR staff members gave talks about the importance of reforestation. Then each student received two trees, and we all went out into the community to plant them together.

The plant nursery has also become a staging area for Long Way Home staff and volunteers to learn about reforestation practices. Depending on the time of year, volunteers at Parque Chimiyá have the opportunity to be involved tree seed sprouting, tree planting or designing activities to teach about trees and the environment.

Branching Out

With the tremendous success of the reforestation project, Long Way Home was inspired to diversify the nursery sales. Visitors to the park often inquire about various plants they see in our gardens, so in 2007 we began taking cuttings from around the park. Our herbs, ornamentals and medicinal plants range in price from $0.65 to $3.35, and a handful of seeds costs $0.13. The income generated from the sale of plants and seeds is then used to fund other Parque Chimiyá projects, such as playground maintenance and materials for educational programs. It is also a great opportunity for local people to add to their own gardens.

Sustainability

The sale of trees in the Long Way Home reforestation project provides an affordable way for local people to plant new trees on their land. At a cost of about $0.13 per tree, every Guatemalan can afford to get involved in reforestation. By selling the trees, Long Way Home generates enough income to buy the necessary materials (seeds, soil, etc.) to repeat the program the following year. The Parque Chimiyá reforestation project is now financially sustainable in that it produces enough revenue to cover all its costs. No external funding is needed to perpetuate the program.

The reforestation project started as an initiative driven by Chuwi Tinamit and AIR, two local organizations in Guatemala. Thus the tree nursery is also sustainable in the sense that people within the community feel ownership of the project and will work hard to ensure its continued success.

Background

In 2004 Chuwi Tinamit decided to begin the tree nursery project on a small area of the land that has now become Parque Chimiyá . A local NGO called AIR (Alliance for International Reforestation) eagerly partnered with Chuwi Tinamit to provide materials and expertise for the program. When Mateo arrived in Guatemala in 2005 to start the construction of Parque Chimiyá , AIR began training Long Way Home workers to manage the tree nursery under their supervision. In accordance with their program guidelines, AIR worked with us for three years at which point two Long Way Home staff members and two Chuwi Tinamit members "graduated" as Reforestation Technicians. Long Way Home has been managing the reforestation project independently since the Fall of 2007.

The Plant Nursery

The Work

Long Way Home staff, interns and volunteers provide the majority of the labor for the plant nursery. Chuwi Tinamit sends a laborer to work with us one day per week during the tree growing cycle, and various neighborhood children and school groups also come to help out. Nursery work includes starting seeds, taking plant cuttings, mixing soil, watering and weeding, giving talks on reforestation, and promoting the nursery within the community.

The Trees

With AIR representative, Luis Iqueque, as our expert coach Long Way Home experimented with growing several varieties of trees, including Fresno, Eucalyptus, Gravilea, and Casuarina. In the 2004-2005 growing cycle, the tree nursery produced 6,000 trees. The following year the production increased to 10,000 trees, followed by 8,000 trees in 2006-2007. Through trial and error we determined that our greatest success resulted from growing Pine, Elm and Cypress trees. We measured this success by how easily the trees grew and how well they sold. For the 2007-2008 growing cycle we plan to produce 8,000 Pine, 2,000 Cypress and 2,000 Elm trees for local reforestation efforts.

The Tree Planting Cycle

At the beginning of November we begin mixing soil and filling plastic planter bags. Seeds are planted in a starter bed at around the same time. By the end of November when 10,000 bags are filled with soil, the tree sprouts are ready to be transplanted to individual bags.

Once the trees have sprouted in December we add a roof of tree branches and foliage to the entire nursery. The shade protects the tiny saplings from direct sunlight. In April when the trees reach about 8" in height, the branches are removed and the trees are ready for full sun exposure.

Since we start growing the trees during Guatemala's dry season, they must be watered twice a week from the time they are seeds in November to the time it starts raining in May. During this time they are also fertilized each month with an organic manure-based fertilizer that we concoct ourselves in the nursery. The 10,000 planter bags must also be weeded at least weekly to keep other plants from crowding out the baby trees.

In May and June the plants are ready to be planted into the ground. This coincides with the beginning of the rainy season when trees will grow on their own, without needing to be watered. Young trees that are planted in May and June will benefit from five to six months of heavy rains. The strong root system developed during the rains will help the tree survive its first dry season. Our tree sales run from May through October, with the majority of the sales falling in June.

Click here if you would like to help donate toward the develpment of this project or just make a general donation to the vitality of the project. Long Way Home appreciates your contributions and interest in helping make the world a better place.

Current Projects


• The Parque Chimiyá
  Project
• Reforestation Project
  and Plant Nursery
• Water Distribution
  Project
• Técnico Maya
  Vocational School
  Project
• Rammed Earth
  House
• Appropriate Technology
  Project
• Environmental and Health Education Project