FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2006
Join a Reforestation Brigade to Nicaragua!
Sponsored by the Nicaragua NetworkReply to: nicanet@afgj.org
Reforestation Brigade to Nicaragua
August 26 -- September 4, 2006
Cost: $650 for everything plus airfare to Nicaragua
Deadline for applications: July 25, 2006
The Nicaragua Network invites you to join a team of volunteers that will be traveling to Nicaragua August 26--September 4, 2006, to assist with a water restoration and reforestation project that is part of a campaign supported by the Nicaragua Network called “Let the Rivers Run” of FEDICAMP (Federation for the Integral Development of Peasant Farmers). FEDICAMP is a Nicaragua-based organization whose director, Elvin Castellon, recently toured the U.S. on a Nicaragua Network speaking tour to discuss the campaign.
Members of the brigade will spend three days assisting with the planting of mango, avocado and banana trees along existing streams or with other aspects of the campaign. The trees will serve to prevent erosion and also provide and food and income for the local people. Decades of unsustainable farming methods have caused extensive deforestation followed by “desertification”. This leads to many other problems including loss of habitat for both wildlife and humans, displacing people from their land and livelihood.
Also, global climate warming, due to burning of fossil fuels largely from more industrialized countries to the north, is exacerbated by the loss of rain forest in southern countries such as Nicaragua, since the forest serves as a valuable “sink” for carbon dioxide.
If you are unable to actually travel with us you can still support this important program by making a donation to the “Let the Rivers Run!” Campaign (see the Nicaragua Network website at www.nicanet.org for more details about the campaign and how to donate).
The trip will also include a visit to Miraflores Nature Reserve, a 206 square kilometer cloud forest and sanctuary for hundreds of bird and flower species as well as numerous other interesting fauna such as howler monkeys. In addition about 5,000 people live in the Reserve and use advanced sustainable farming methods including natural pest management, crop diversification and worm farming. This will be an excellent opportunity to learn about these methods and even help out with their ongoing work. Tours of the rain forest to see waterfalls, caves, beautiful vistas and birds and other wildlife are readily available. More details about the Reserve are available in the tour book: Moon Handbooks: Nicaragua (by Joshua Berman and Randy Wood, 2003) or at http://www.miraflor-uca.com/ (in Spanish) or http://www.vianica.com/activity/27/miraflor-natural-reserve (in English).
The brigade will be led by Dr. Jim Fleming of Prairie Health Services in Missouri. An important goal for Dr. Fleming, the leader of this trip, is to bring together people whose activism is based on faith principles with those whose activism is based on social justice principles, the common interest being protection of our common heritage: our natural environment. He says, “The people who live on the land benefit and both faith principles and human rights are served in the process.” He expects Nicaraguan friends from a mission church in Catarina will join the work of the brigade.
Cost: $650 plus airfare to Nicaragua. (This includes all ground transportation, three simple meals a day, basic lodging, translation, orientation materials, work materials and a contribution to partner Nicaraguan organizations.)
Send an email to nicanet@afgj.org to receive an application for the reforestation brigade. Deadline for applications is July 25, 2006.
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