Good morning STEEMERS
The last 24 hours since i was sitting here yesterday introducing myself to you has been incredibly busy, full of synchronistic flow and lots of hard, but fun work. I took some videos along the way and thought they could give you a little taste of what planting trees with me and our communities in Costa Rica is really like. There are gonna be a lot of yummy food pics mixed in because I like to eat! Yep, It's always important to start with a super nutritional breakfast. Here i have organic kale from the local farmer's market and fresh boiled eggs from my neighbors free range chickens.
Join me in the truck as we stop off and see some horrid deforestation as a result of subsidized cattle farming. These farmers were paid in the 1970's to burn it down to grow cows instead of rainforest. Most of the land was so steep and it was so much work, that none of the wood could be taken out and taken advantage of. How sad because all that Carbon Dioxide got smoked into the atmosphere. Did you know that around 20% of the carbon dioxide in our air is caused by deforestation while "only" 14% is spewed out by all the planes, trains and automobiles for transport. ( Figure does not include shipping industry)... So stopping deforestation is critical. And we do it by creating jobs so people are not tempted by big corporations and real estate developers and just the plain old needs of their family to keep cutting trees down!
Continuing on our path, we go deeper into the Valley of San Juan de Dios, Costa Rica, Southern Pacific coast zone about 13 kms from the surf beach town of Dominical, one of the most deforested places around. Tourists love to cross the swing bridge and marvel at the rivers and clear crystal waters. And yes, these bridges have fallen before so there is always a little finger crossing going on...
There is just so much deforestation all over Central America. One of our goals is to be so susscessful that we can send money to other groups in Central America to replicate our model. Groups already are replicating us and asking me for funding like crazy. Alas, it all takes time and perseverance and we have a lot of work to do.
DRINK WATER FOLKS.. no matter where you are. In fact, drink a big glass right now and let's continue... youa re gonna need it if you spend the day with us!
Meet Alvaro and Teresa, the original community leaders who have worked with me for over 14 years, both in private and in our public Community Carbon Trees projects. Alvaro is the green thumb at Nursery #2 in charge of producing trees with other community members and he also manages work crews planting and cleaning trees the first four years and thereafter. Teresa is his wife who runs our Women's Group which is also doing some amazing things for over 6 years now like making all of the fertile compost soil we use to fill the tree bags! She also learned to use a computer a few years ago and does out accounting payroll in EXCEL. How is that for empowerment? They inspire other groups who come to study us and they always feed me and teach me so much. It is a symbiotic relationship for sure. We are a real Tree Team and are in it for KEEPS!
Here are some of the products the women from La Reina produce like organic free range cheese, avocadoes and more! ! She also knows I love homemade pineapple refresco, so she greeted me with this yummy juice! And And of course lunch with fresh papaya picadillo!
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After leaving about $400 with them to pay workers for last week who are chopping grasses from around trees we have already planted the last fours years, we discussed mortality losses and growth rates. All are doing really well and we are working with a 2$ death rate and so next maintenance trip later int he rainy season we will bring replacement trees to meet our guarantee to sponsors! Then we discussed the 4 new farms and families entering the program this year and and strategy to accomplish this work!
After a yummy guzzle of fresh squeezed cane juice, Im off again to load some bozexes of trees for a private project we will be doing over the next week starting on Monday!
Next, I arrive at the other tree nursery down from my house where we find Cristian preparing a pile of dirt for a group coming this morning to help us transplant some trees!
So many other things and sights happened yesterday and well, Ive' run outta time. Go go eat, get dressed and roll again today! Loading more trucks and all kinds of activity and so stay tuned for a DAY IN THE LIFE of an ECO WARRIOR... little ole me and my tram of #treefriends!
Thanks for following and listening in... HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!
PS the rest of my day is posted on INSTA STORY...