Agroforestry Sweet Deal
We were planning a local Earth Day event, but with the sudden rise in COVID in Chiang Mai we decided to cancel.
The pandemic continues to change our world. Some changes are good for the environment. Perhaps it is Mother Nature’s way of trying to save the environment.
Deforestation rates are changing in some places, air pollution is diminishing, water quality is improving, and snow is becoming more reflective in some areas since the pandemic began earlier this year.
(Based on report of data collected by NASA, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and ESA (European Space Agency) Earth-observing satellites and others.)
While we may be getting temporary relief provided by lifestyle changes, climate change is still a threat to our future and our children’s future.
Earth Day’s theme this year is “Restore Our Earth”. And that is exactly what our pilot Agroforestry Project does.
Agroforestry Sweet Deal
Warm Heart’s “Stop the Smoke” was selected by GlobalGiving for their annual “Climate Action” week. The campaign runs through Earth Day week April 19 – 23.
Global Giving will match 100% every donation up to $100
We appreciate every single donation that comes in.
But we decided to sweeten the deal for our big donors!
Kad KoKoa, one of our Agroforestry Project partners created a one of a kind Chrysanthemum Dark Chocolate candy bar, only available through Warm Heart. As a token of our deep appreciation for support of the Agroforestry for every $100 donation we will send a Chocolate Bar.
100% Match is over! Thank you to everyone who helped us raise $5757.00 for this project!
Agroforestry Project Update
Our Agroforestry Project is getting ready to kick-off the first phase of the project.
We are working with 5 farming families, between them we have 45 rai to restore to a natural Thai forest area that can be utilized by the farmers for Agroforestry.
Agroforestry is a more environmentally-friendly system, in which crops are interplanted with trees and shrubs. Some of these trees grow fruits or nuts that can be harvested. Others grow for many years, and can later be harvested for timber. And some trees aren’t grown for harvesting, but rather for the many other important benefits they provide: improving soil quality, preserving biodiversity, and creating shade and protection for more delicate crops.
In the shade of these trees, farmers can plant cash crops such as coffee, cacao, rattan, tea, Thai black pepper and many others. They can grow local fruits that have disappeared from local markets, and plant family vegetable gardens around the perimeter that provide food year round and excess to sell while waiting for the perennials to yield.
Preparing the Dirt
Years of abuse have degraded the land, one of our first steps will be to bring life back to the soil by adding biochar and manure.
Last year Shangri-La contracted with local farmers to make biochar. They then donated the biochar to local sustainable farming groups, and are donating 25 tons of biochar for this project. The farmers are providing the manure.
The biochar needs to be delivered to the farmers from our warehouse.
We will be hiring a crew to distribute the biochar and manure across the 45 rai.
The land also needs to be swaled. Swales are designed to slow and capture runoff by spreading it horizontally across the landscape following the elevation contour line. This helps facilitate runoff infiltration into the soil. The swales will be created by digging a ditch on contour and piling the dirt on the downhill side of the ditch to create a berm.
Once this is complete Phase 2 will begin.
Holes will be dug for planting, and a variety of Thai seedlings will be planted to restore the mountain sides with native plants, and begin the restoration.
This is how your donation today can help our #RestoreOurEarth Agroforestry #Reforestation project:
