Roberta's Forest Blog — Let's Get Planting

Mary Blizzard, our great supporter, at a recent bazaar. All her proceeds went to LRFF.

A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine suggested that we create a new page on our website for what she called my newsletter because she felt that a lot of people might not read my “blogs”. The word “blog” is undesirable. I’m not blogging but reporting the latest news. Please, read the “blogs” and know that your support is going for what you gave the support for.

Whew! There has been so much happening at LRFF that I haven’t had time to write.

David Alvarez, owner of the “Connecting Forest Islands in Costa Rica” project property.

The many generous donations given to LRFF since we entered the Global Giving Challenge last August have not only earned us a permanent place on their fundraising website but on the 20th of November we received the final donation to the “Connecting Forest Islands in Costa Rica” project, finalizing it’s funding needs.

Thanks to all of you who supported us by donating to this project. It’s a done deal.

Alex Araya doing the topographical study at the corridor area

On November 12th, topographer Alex Araya, did the land survey, demarcating the biological corridor area on David Alvarez’s property in Aguacate de Tilarán. The Instituto de Electricidad Costarricense (ICE) has high-power lines that pass through the corridor area, creating an easement that must be kept clear.

High-power lines passing through. You can see one tower in the upper left hand corner.

The map Alex created shows the corridor as two lots with a strip in between where the power lines run. We connected the two existing forest’s, the lower including a river, via two wide bridges of indigenous trees. The corridor area measures 2 ½ hectares (6 acres).

Beautiful wildflowers in the planting area

The planting work began on November 25th with hole digging and seedling transport. The corridor area is about ½ km. past the drivable road. It is at approximately 850 meters elevation (3000 ft.).

Mario and his team of oxen

Small cargo taxis transported the 2500 seedlings from the La Reserva and ICE nurseries, up to the “base camp”. From there Mario and his team of oxen and cart carried the trees up to the planting area along a muddy, rutted path.

The team, hauling the seedlings up the hill

In some places the oxen had to traverse muddy pasture because the path was impassable. The oxen also carried the fence posts up to construct the fence that would protect the trees from cattle.

Meanwhile the 13-man crew of local workers and volunteers, Daniel Spreen, Eduardo Gomez and Rusty Holzheimer, were digging holes for the trees and distributing the seedlings that were delivered by Mario and his oxen. The crew worked more than 10 hours that day and finished the job.

Planting in the wave formation

Friday, November 27th dawned foggy, rainy, windy and cold. Six of the workers didn’t show up leaving us with only four paid workers and four volunteers to start. We arrived at the planting area before 7am and got planting in a moving wave, with Daniel and me following behind doing the quality control, making sure that the seedlings are planted correctly and that the plastic nursery bags are recovered to be taken to the recycling center.

Tim Johnson, who, along with his wife Michele Glenn, are the most dependable planting day volunteers

By the time midday rolled around the rain and fog cleared enough to reveal four more volunteers helping to plant on the central ridge. They were Michele Glenn (Secretary on LRFF’s board of directors) and her husband Tim, plus Brendan and Sue from Aguacate. They had been planting for over two hours before we even knew they were there. We all quit for lunch, sopping wet, having finished over half of the land.

The workers on lunch break

Daniel and me on lunch break

After lunch we began planting the remaining area. We finished the planting of over 2500 trees and still needed another 300 seedlings. The next week the crew would bring more trees to plant while they construct the fence.

Building the fence

The crew planted the remaining 300 trees and constructed the fence enclosing the corridor on Wednesday, December 2nd.

The soggy celebration

LRFF was awarded a grant from the GEF/UN Small Donations Program here in Costa Rica, to help with the promotion and reforestation activities within the Lake Arenal-Tenorio Biological Corridor.

Eduardo Mata & Ana Isabel Carmona presenting LRFF with the grant

We spent two days, December 3rd and 4th, at the UNDP’s headquarters in San Jose to learn about the correct administration of the funds. It is wonderful to attend these workshops and meet others from all over Costa Rica working to solve many different environmental problems. It was two days worth of valuable information and fellowship.

Chichas, up close and personal

Chichas, the rehabilitated Two-toed sloth is still here at La Reserva. You may have noticed that I use the past tense when speaking about his rehabilitation. His hands are finally healed, his hair is thick and brilliant, is extremely strong and weighs a lot. Ana Ramirez, a biologist working for ICE, wants to release him before Christmas vacation. There will be more to the Chichas story.

By the time you read this blog delegates from all around the world will be gathering in Copenhagen for the Climate Change Conference. This is the most important event for our Earth’s future and consequently for all life upon her. Make your voice heard to the negotiators in some way. We are holding a candlelight vigil on December 12th beneath Papa Loco, the 300-year old Kapok tree at La Reserva, at 2:30pm. Come and join us. A photo of the group with candles and a message will be sent to the negotiators via Avaaz.org and 350.org. Let’s all join in, somehow or another, to promote the preservation and restoration of our world’s vital tropical forests.

LET’S GET PLANTING!!