Tree nursery provides income for families in rural Costa Rica and helps protect natural rainforest
- by Bret G. Dudl
- 09.07.09
- 5:55 PM GMT+8
- Filed in Costa Rica, Costa Rica Rainforest
Source: Rural Costarica
The Santa Fe Women’s Group has learned to make reforestation profitable. After taking an INA course (Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje – National Training Institute) in tree nursery reforestation, the Group saw the potential in continuing its tree production as a vital part of reforestation efforts in Costa Rica. While the Women’s Group has already planted over 1,000 trees to reforest public places around Santa Fe, including the Santa Fe Wetlands, it is expanding its tree production to keep up with demand for good tropical hardwoods like teak, as well as precious endangered tropical species.
Aside from managing their own reforestation project, the women are collaborating with the local Agriculture Ministry office in its efforts to reforest under-utilized farm space. For this project the Women’s Group has over 5,000 seeds germinating, all of them already destined to be planted on local farms in this important reforestation effort.
Tree nursery-students from the reforestation course posing around the germination bed Since the Group has experienced so much early success with its tree nursery, the women intend to expand production. Other important forestry authorities are taking notice of this efficient tree nursery, offering the women a great economic opportunity. Other clients have agreed to buy trees from the Santa Fe Women’s Group, compelling the women to expand their annual production capacity twenty-five-fold to 100,000 trees come the 2007 wet season. Since reforestation is an important ongoing effort all over Costa Rica, the tree nursery will likely enjoy a healthy market for decades to come, offering employment to both men and women in the community of Santa Fe.
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