Reforestation

We equip Haitians with the knowledge and techniques needed to grow trees and reclaim their environment.

Love A Child’s reforestation program is conducted through the Agricultural Training Center (ATC) and is one of six interrelated sustainability initiatives.

Our Haitian agronomist teaches and demonstrates the LAC sustainability model in the ATC nursery by propagating beneficial plant stock such as:

  • Moringa
  • Neem
  • Leucaena
  • Fruit trees
  • Bamboo
  • Vetiver grass

Each of the plants listed play a role in sustainable reforestation projects. They benefit Haitian families by either providing a nutritional supplement for consumption, feed for animals, or acting as an agent to stabilize and improve the soil. With donor support, we are able to educate families on how to plant, grow and harvest the trees, as well as improve the overall food security for the people of Fond Parisien.

Planting Trees in Haiti…
The Fond Parisien Reforestation Initiative is underway.

Each tree planted has the potential to cause a ripple effect of improvement in reestablishing the forests that once blanketed the Haitian landscape. In the last year, a team of ATC students planted more than 5,000 nutritious trees thanks to project sponsors. This program is critical for providing long-term solutions to breaking the cycle of poverty for Haitian families.

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The Benefits of Moringa…
A key to Haiti’s reforestation efforts.

Love A Child’s aggressive approach to helping Haitians improve their environment includes the planting of at least 25,000 Moringa trees each year. Moringa Oleifera is an important species. Here are three top reasons why Moringa is the “star” of our reforestation initiative:

  1. The Moringa tree grows 16 feet from a seed in one year.
  2. Moringa planted as a row crop can be harvested every 45 days by cutting off the top half of the tree.
  3. It will produce more nutritious food for humans and animals than corn, rice or wheat planted in the same space.

Using Vetiver Grass in Multiple Ways…
Nourishing degraded soil, curbing erosion and combatting deforestation.

Vetiver is a plant currently being used by Love A Child’s agronomist to help solve Haiti’s soil erosion problems that were caused by decades of deforestation. It is a perennial grass that can grow up to five feet high, with roots that grow downward – six to thirteen feet in depth. Vetiver grass helps stabilize fragile soils, while conserving moisture and nutrients.

Solutions…
Read more about our approach

For more on Love A Child’s work with reforestation in Haiti, download the full project summary here.

How you can help become a sustainable outreach champion

With your help, we can continue to implement our reforestation efforts so that Haitian families can improve their way of life in a sustainable manner. Every penny counts!

 

To learn about all of our programs, please visit our Sustainability Initiatives web pages.