reforestation from I.C.A.

The most of my time in Guatemala I lived in Quetzaltengo, like most of you should know alreday. After my first 2 weeks in Xela having spanish classes I went to a coffee farm, but that wasn´t what I liked. So I moved back to Xela and started working voluntary in the reforestation project of the Spanish school I.C.A. I talked to the director Enrique on a Friday and on Monday Carlos picked me up to go with him to Zona 10, where the tree nursery was. But before we collected seeds in front of a hospital from the Eucalyptus.

The Eucalyptus isn´t actually the main tree in the nuersery, because this tree needs a lot of water, what isn´t that helpfully in the dry season. Other trees are : Alder, Cypress, Pine, Lang Oak, Peruvian Pepper Tree and the Guatemalan Fir. I was only working with the Cypress, Pine and Alder.

What I have done is watering the plants, weeding, transplanting, filling bags with soil, seeding and building protection walls of the cold night wind.

But unfortunately in december almost all of the taller Pines died, so I came to the reforestation in January and the joke was, that the trees now have the same color as my hair. But for me it was kind of a pitiable sight and not funny at all. Later on in January I went twice with Enrique, Carlos, Cesar, Eugen, Luis and his little brother to the mountains to collect seeds of the Alder. This was fun, except the early stand up. Enrique picked me and Eugen up at the school at 6 am and we arrived in the mountains at around 7 to walk a bit more up. Because of the dry season it was very dusty and I have never been that happy to take a shower afterwards. We worked until one and were back in Xela at two. To see the sunrise over Xela from the mountains was worth to stand up that early. And as soon as the sun was out, it got nice warm.

In total it was a lot of fun to work there, now is the season to transplant the babytrees in there bags. That is a lot of work, so the numbers of workers raised from 2 to 10 in the last month. 

To say goodbye I went there with a cake, but I underestimated the numbers of workers and that in the break other family members are coming to have breakfast as well. So finally I coulnd´t catch a piece of my blueberry cake.

collecting seeds

If you want to know more about the reforestation, how they finance thereselves and stuff like that, have a look here: ICA page

Pictures:

tiny Pines

tree nursery

mostly dead plants

breakfast

Xela in the morning

me working