Unfortunately, these are not two isolated examples. All over Honduras one can see signs of environmental problems: depleting natural resources, falling water levels, and poorer soils for agriculture. These factors are worsening Honduras’s economic situation and lowering an already poor quality of life for its inhabitants. Most people in rural areas are left struggling to survive.

The goal of Trees for the Future is to make reforestation both practical and sustainable. That means to demonstrate the usefulness of trees and show the value that trees possess and make the argument compelling enough for people to want to plant them.

Current partners:

FundArbol
FundArbol is a Honduran NGO which supplies seed and technical assistance to communities which are working on reforestation projects. The work of FundArbol and Trees for the Future is all under the banner of the program Arbol por la vida. In this program, over 7 million seeds have been distributed to community groups from 2006 to 2008. We planted 2,000,000 trees in Honduras in 2007 and we are in the process of planting 3,000,000 plants this year.

Aldea Global
Trees for the Future is provding seeds and technical support to the organization Aldea Global, which is working on reforestation projects in the zone surrounding national park Cerro Azul Meambar. In 2008 we supplied 100,000 seeds to be planted in nurseries in the area of the park.

In 2008 we are providing seeds and technical support to 6 volunteers in Central and western Honduras.

Tristan Webb is working in El Dorado, Santa Barbarra, which is located on the edge of Santa Barbarra National Park. Tristan is working with a small group of coffee farmers to plant 13,000 trees in coffee plantations and the recharge zone for the community water source.

Rebecca Westbrook is working with the environmental department of the municipality of Sensenti, Ocotepeque. They are trying to plant 15,000 trees in the coffee plantations which are in the recharge area of their water supply. They are also trying to plant 1 tamarind and 1 moringa tree in every yard in the municipality.

Krystin Oldendorf is working with the school and a group of producers to plant 10,000 trees in coffee plantations and along the streets in Yaunera, San Pedro de Copan. This producers group is also planting trees for use as cattle fodder to increase milk output of crossbreed cattle.

Rachel Wodyka is working in Porterillos, Copan is working with a group of producers to integrate more nitrogen fixing tree species into coffee plantations, as well as the local school to reforest old cattle pastures in the recharge zone of their water source. Between the two groups they are hoping to plant 12100 plants this year.

Cathy Bukowski is working in Montaña de la Virgen, This is her second year working with Trees for the Future. This year she is planting 3200 trees with coffee growers.

Courtney Dunham is working with producers in Nueva Esperanza, Lempira to plant 2000 nitrogen fixing trees for future firewood and green manure harvest, 3000 nitrogen fixing and fruit trees for the initial stages of forest garden establishment, and 5000 trees to reforest the water source in the municipality of La Campa.

 This year Trees for the Future also supplied seed for the training of the protected areas management project in Peace corps Honduras. 14,000 seeds will be used to teach the new volunteers nursery practices, and the volunteers will be teaching the producers in the town of Monte Redondo how to incorporate these nitrogen fixing trees into their vegetable and cattle production. Trees for the Future staff will be helping with this training.