Our planting Partners

We are proud to present our planting partners, which assist us in our mission to balance out books by planting trees. Our three planting partners are all non-profit organizations working in developing countries for the benefit of both the environment and local communities in these countries. They are working in regions where deforestation is a crucial problem and where the trees planted provide many local people with opportunities for a better future. All of our partners are committed to sustainable practices as well to working closely with local communities to ensure the success of planting operations.

We chose our planting partners carefully to ensure maximum transparency and accountability in our mutual work. Our planting partners are incorporated either in the USA (SHI and AIR), or in the UK (RIPPLE Africa), are subject to strict non-profit reporting standards and their financial statements are audited on regular basis.

We maintain close relationships with our planting partners and will evaluate the planting projects conducted by them on annual basis. These assessments will be reviewed by Eco-Libris' natural resources experts and will be published on our website (links to the first year's and second year's assessments are enclosed below).

Please have a look at our 3 planting partners:

 

Sustainable Harvest International (SHI)
Region: Central America (Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama)


Central America has lost more than half of its rainforests in the last 50 years, contributing to mass extinctions and global warming. Rainforest destruction also wreaks havoc on local populations who depend on the rainforest for their survival.

Founded in 1997 by Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Florence Reed, Sustainable Harvest International addresses the tropical deforestation crisis in Central America by providing farmers with sustainable alternatives to slash-and-burn agriculture. SHI facilitates long-term collaboration among trained local agricultural staff, farmers and communities to implement sustainable land-use practices that alleviate poverty by restoring ecological stability.

With SHI’s integrated approach to sustainable rural development, poor farmers adopt environmentally, culturally and economically sustainable land-use techniques that stop rainforest destruction while improving their standard of living. Planting trees is an integral part of the SHI approach.

Since 1997, SHI has established more than 1,700 nurseries in Central America and has planted 2 million trees. The vast majority of these trees have been planted on land degraded by slash-and-burn agriculture and logging. These trees will restore natural water cycles, stabilize microclimate, produce a variety of crops and provide habitat for the flora and fauna of the tropical rainforests.

Charity Navigator has reviewed and rated SHI in its highest category of non-profit operation giving it four stars.

More information on SHI can be found on their website: www.sustainableharvest.org

SHI's First Year Assessment: www.ecolibris.net/SHI_Assessment_2007-8.pdf

SHI's Second Year Assessment: www.ecolibris.net/SHI_Assessment_2008-9.pdf

www.ecolibris.net/SHI_assessment_excel.pdf

 

RIPPLE Africa
Region: Africa (Malawi)


RIPPLE Africa was established in 2003 by Geoff and Liz Furber from the UK. RIPPLE Africa is a non-profit organization involved with environmental projects, education and healthcare in Malawi, Africa. It works in cooperation with local chiefs - traditional authorities and the local communities, who take a major part in RIPPLE Africa’s various activities, including its planting operations.

Malawi is a poor country and 80% of its people live in rural areas. Wood is a necessary part of everyday life, and there is also tremendous pressure to clear forests for agriculture. Hence, trees in Malawi are being cut down at an alarming rate. An area of forest the size of a football pitch is cut down every 10 minutes. RIPPLE Africa’s tree planting project is centered in Nkhata Bay District, Malawi, Africa, an area of 4,000 square kilometers.

Ultimately, RIPPLE Africa wants to set up 400 community tree nurseries growing a total of 4 million trees per year. In 2006, RIPPLE Africa opened 75 community tree nurseries and planted out 550,000 trees in January 2007. In 2008 the organization planted 1,250,000 trees.

The main aims of the project are to provide sustainable timber in woodlots for firewood, building, etc., to restore degraded land by planting indigenous trees, and to provide additional food using fruit trees and nitrogen-fixing trees.

In addition to tree planting, RIPPLE Africa is also involved in environmental awareness training. Chiefs and communities applied to RIPPLE Africa to be part of the tree planting project. The organization works closely with the District Forestry Office, and together with Forest Guards, it helped the communities to set up their tree nurseries, and provides ongoing training and support.

More information on RIPPLE Africa can be found on its website: www.rippleafrica.org

RIPPLE Africa's First Year Assessment: www.ecolibris.net/RIPPLE_Africa_Assessment_2007-8.pdf

RIPPLE Africa's Second Year Assessment: www.ecolibris.net/RIPPLE_ Africa_Assessment_2008-9.pdf

The Alliance for International Reforestation (AIR)
Region: Central America (Guatemala, Nicaragua)


The Alliance for International Reforestation (AIR) is a non-profit organization working to make a difference for the people of Guatemala and Nicaragua. AIR was founded by Political Science Professor Anne M. Hallum in 1992 at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. AIR's objective is to assist local communities in Central America to conserve their environment through reforestation, sustainable farming, and education. So far, AIR planted more than 3 million trees in Guatemala and Nicaragua. In 2004, AIR was named The Best Environmental NGO in Guatemala for 2004, by the national government's forestry institute in Guatemala.

AIR works to initiate continuous reforestation programs at the community level. All of AIR's projects are based on the philosophy that direct community involvement in all phases of the projects, from their design to their implementation, is essential for the success and sustainability of project activities.

The daily destruction of forests that occurs in Guatemala is a serious problem - each year more than 1620 square kilometers are deforested. This has already had a severe negative impact on the environment: water sources are quickly disappearing, 65% of Guatemalan soil is considered highly susceptible to erosion and air quality is deteriorating rapidly. In addition, deforestation leads to the depletion of essential nutrients in the soils, especially those used for agricultural activities. As these soils become drained of nutrients and no longer support agriculture, populations migrate to virgin areas and conduct slash-and-burn activities, continuing the cycle of deforestation.

The replanting of trees on community lands, in addition to otherwise conserving the environment, replenishes soil nutrients, and therefore decelerates the destruction of the virgin forests that remain in Guatemala.

More information on AIR can be found on its website:
www.stetson.edu/org/air/

AIR's First Year Assessment: www.ecolibris.net/AIR_Assessment_2007-8.pdf

AIR's Second Year Assessment: www.ecolibris.net/AIR_Assessment_2008-9.pdf


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