Boaco, Central Nicaragua
The purpose of Reduce Our Carbon Charitable Foundation is to promote the conservation of the natural environment and the advancement of public education due to deforestion and other effects of the release of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and the encouragement of afforestation.
To further these purposes for the public benefit, the Charity, funded by founding sponsor Your Eco, set up a volunteer-supported reforestation pilot project in Boaco, Central Nicaragua. The objective of the project was to establish a community-based agroforestry model that would help prevent deforestation by providing families with recurring incomes through the use of native fruit trees.
The main participants in the project are rural farming communities that have limited sources of income and depend primarily on family and community labour to work small holdings typically ranging from 0.25 to 5 acres.
Achievements and Performance
The pilot project proved to be extremely successful with 42 families from 2 communities (La Reyna and Tule) signing up to join the project. The live fence and sapling planting took place early in the planting season, from April to June, with fruit trees being delivered from May through August. The fruit trees when mature will yield both a source of food as well as income.
Planted 7,930 trees including 3500 fruit trees
Immediate income from planting fees to project participants
Recurring income after 3 years from fruit crops
42 families took part in the pilot project
Project sponsor, Your Eco Construction Ltd, offset its annual carbon footprint
Trained 4 local coordinators to support and supervise planting activities
Secured planting pledges from nearby communities wanting to join the project
The project provides immediate financial support by paying participants to collect and replant saplings from within the community as well as to harvest branches for use as fence posts that regerminate and become live fences. This method ensures that only trees that are already native to the region are used. The planting fees are paid in two instalments with the second payment made in the following year to ensure participants are incentivized to ensure saplings survive through the dry season, typically December to April.
In addition to the immediate financial support paid to participants through planting fees for the live fences, the Charity matches each live fence and sapling planted one-for-one with a native fruit tree (e.g. avocado, orange) which, on average, takes three years to mature.
