Tena, Ecuador, october 2020
Thanks to your support, 5,000 trees were planted by 18 farmers at the beginning of 2020 in Tena, a canton in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
The monitoring phase of the young trees has now begun, despite difficulties linked to the global health crisis. Measures taken by the Ecuadorian government and fears over contamination initially hampered the monitoring activities. But from July on, work resumed: the project team visited all the planted plots and farmers received training in plot maintenance, shade management, replanting of the lost fruit trees and initial pruning of young trees. Ishpingo’s agroforestry engineers supported the farmers in these activities, which are key to the success of the project.
For each project carried out by A Tree for You, the tree mortality rate is taken into account in the price of the tree in order to assure donors that all the financed trees will be effectively planted and long-lasting. On this project, the loss rate was estimated at 20%: 5,000 seedlings were therefore planted last April to reach the goal of 4,000 long-lasting trees in the end.
And the good news is that the mortality rates in the plantations are extremely low; indeed, for the project as a whole, the rate for living trees is 90%. Thus, 4,500 long-lasting trees ( compared to 4,000) are currently growing in Tena, 500 more than the anticipated target! Moreover, growth of these 4,500 trees is good to excellent in most plots.
In the words of Miguel Andi, one of the project beneficiaries and a member of the Venecia community:
“In January of this year, I planted timber on a plot I inherited. This land is hard because it’s mountainous and is no good for growing bananas or yucca, besides it’s a bit far away. After having visited Ishpingo’s farm, I decided to copy them and create a forest plantation. I planted trees every three metres in a row. There was a lot of shade because it is fallow land, yet the trees survived very well. Every month I do some thinning, which is vital to ensure trees get enough light to grow. […] I’m really satisfied with the project. Flore (forestry engineer of our partner Ishpingo) came to see my plot and congratulated me, which motives me even more. I’m proud of my work.”
