Tech | February 21, 2012 | 13 comments

Tree Nation: Agroforestry and the new moringa park in Niger

source: http://www.tree-nation.com/forests/191/1667

Image
JanforGore
I have been a member of Tree Nation for going on five years now. Tree Nation is a free Internet community/organization where you can be a part of planting thousands of trees in four separate forests globally to help counter deforestation and desertfication right from your modem. Their original forest in the heart of Niger has now planted over 52,000 trees on their way to the goal of 100,000 for 2012! All total over 397,000 trees have been planted. I have several trees planted there in my name as well. There are other forests in Columbia, Nicaragua and their newest in Madagascar. This article is about a new moringa park being introduced in Niger and also about beginning to use agroforestry in their Niger plantation.

We see so much deforestation taking place in our world and so many negative effects from our behavior. This is one bright spot proving that people globally can join together in good spirit to work to make the world a better place.I hope you check it out and maybe even become part of the solution in planting trees in places where they are most needed now.

Excerpt:

"Alongside planting trees, we are beginning to farm fruits and vegetables as we cultivate the trees planted. Our goal is twofold: to enhance the quality of the soil and the growth of the trees through agroforestry and to take advantage by selling the products farmed in the process.

So far, we have planted tomatoes, aubergines and cucumbers. While the first two have yielded good results, many cucumbers have been lost owing to the pest of caterpillars. We are, however, going to continue farming the vegetables and we hope to make the most of distribution outlets in the capital of Niamey and in local markets to sell them alongside our production of Moringa leaves.

The Moringa plantation:

We have also decided to reorganise our site to open a new Moringa park. 15 metres wide, it runs alongside the channelling strip used for channelling the irrigation from the basin, which is a round 200 metres long. It will be ideally placed to take advantage of the water well and our soon-to-be-in-place micro irrigation system, by using the border irrigation technique, which involves irrigating a whole area of land at one time. As for our old park, until the irrigation system has been expanded it will only be being farmed on a seasonal basis.

In all, over the last few months we have harvested around 200 kg of Moringa leaves. And, while we’re on the subject, we thought you might want to know that we’ve just collected our first Baobab leaves since they were planted 4-5 years ago!"
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13 comments // Tree Nation: Agroforestry and the new moringa park in Niger

  • coolplanet
    • +3
      coolplanet  

    • There are few things as satifying or beautiful as watching a sapling you planted grow to a mature tree. My biggest pleasure of the day is walking in my half acre admiring the 50 large trees that my family has planted since 1955. Hemlocks, hardwood maples, pines, blue spruce, pinoak, dogwood, apple over 50 years old. Some are 100 ft tall.
      We've lost a few in the violent storms over the past decade and I've planted sequoia, dawn redwood, white birch, Alberta spruce, cypress and juniper which are simply magnificent! Also planted black bamboo five years ago that blows my mind.
      It is a spiritual experience.

    • 1 year ago
  • gump
    • 0
      gump  
    • coolplanet:

      You must have great water. My half acre in phx az is hot and dry. Hard to keep trees alive. Here shade is precious and shade trees are also precious. The city has been condeming property so it could get ( steal ) the water rights. Where that has been done there are houses without trees. Just buildings burning in the blasting sun. I used to farm some of that land . Long term plan is to have no farming and no large trees just people burning in the sun like helpless rasins. The city is a corporation and run like the mob. I mean the real mafia. Not just any group of people.

    • 1 year ago
  • circlesquared
  • coolplanet
    • +3
      coolplanet  

    • Preventing deforestation and planting trees are the singlemost important things the average person can do to fight global warming. Scientists have calculated that it would require planting one trillion trees to sequester the carbon we add to the atmosphere.
      Why are we waiting for governments to take action?

    • 1 year ago
  • JanforGore
  • coolplanet
    • +2
      coolplanet  
    • JanforGore:

      Yes, Africans and the Chinese have been planting billions of trees for the past decade.
      But where are Americans, Canadians, Europeans, Indians and all the other nations on this?
      We need the whole world to take part if it it is to work. Earth Day is every day.

    • 1 year ago
  • ThatCrazyLibertarian
  • JanforGore
  • JanforGore
  • JanforGore
    • +5
      JanforGore  
    • Image

    • A short video showing people in Niger planting trees.

      From the video:

      "http://www.Tree-Nation.com is a fast-growing and dynamic social network with the objective of planting trees. More than 70,000 people and 120 European and international companies have already joined the community for a greener and more sustainable planet.

      Since 2006, Tree Nation is working in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme and its Plant for the Planet campaign. Other sponsors include the INRAN (Institut National de Recherche Agronomique du Niger) and the Ministry of the environment of Niger.

      The objective of Tree Nation is to combat desertification, deforestation and climate change by planting trees. In addition to the obvious benefits of reforestation (carbon sinks, water resource and biodiversity restoration...) trees generate a virtuous cycle both ecologically and economically.

      Tree Nation also fights poverty. Tree plantations develop the local economy by generating jobs and by promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Depending on the species, trees provide food, fodder and medicines which represent supplementary income for villages and communities.

      With its first plantation in Niger, Tree-Nation initiated an ambitious project: plant 8 million trees in the shape of a giant heart, a symbol of respect and love for the Earth. The ultimate goal should be achieved by 2015. Other projects are in progress, including in countries such Nicaragua and Madagascar.

      Tree-Nation is the inventor of the virtual tree. The virtual tree is the companion of your real tree on the plantation, and it allows you to track its progress on www.tree-nation.com. Each virtual tree also has a space for an individualized message and lets you interact with other members and planters: exchanging ideas, pictures and messages while making new friends.

      Planting a tree has never been easier. In a few clicks you can choose your project, your tree species and we will take care of the rest.

      A tree is the perfect gift: whatever the occasion (birthdays, weddings, thanking a friend or a business partner...), and with just the name and the email of the person, you can offer someone a tree and leave a personal message.

      You can also plant for free. Tree Nation offers multiple opportunities to become involved in the project: by inviting your friends, giving water to someone's trees... The more people get to know our project; the more trees will be planted. You can start now by signing up.

      Tree Nation also counts on the support of companies. Our partners value our concrete, effective and transparent projects. So far many small and medium sized businesses, but as well as larger organizations such as The Economist, Procter & Gamble, Google, or Garnier have joined our efforts by joining one of our corporate programs.

      Follow the project's progress on a day by day basis by reading the plantation blog, where you can get the latest news from the field, including fun facts on the adventures of planting, preparing the fields or seeing the trees sprout after the first rain.

      With Tree Nation, planting a tree has a real impact and it's simple, fun and meaningful. Let's plant for the planet!"

    • 1 year ago
  • LivingPong
  • JanforGore
  • JanforGore
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