Community Forests International

Baie Verte Forest Restoration

Zach — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:10:37 +0000

Community Forests International has partnered with Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) to plant native Acadian forest species on NCC’s Baie Verte nature reserve on the Northumberland Strait. Participants are encouranged to come lend a hand and learn about Acadian forest restoration from the experts. Lunch, snacks, and beverages will be provided by NCC

Date: Saturday, May 26, 2012 Time: 9:00 AM- 3:00 PM Location: Near Baie Verte, NB

Register to help at www.conservationvolunteers.ca by selecting ‘NB Greening Baie Verte’ on the events calendar and clicking “Sign me up” in the event details or call the NCC office at 1-877-231-4400.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is Canada’s leading non-profit land conservation organization working for the direct protection of Canada’s ecologically significant land. To date, this includes more than 12,000 acres are in New Brunswick.

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CFI and CFP celebrate Earth Day at Konde Secondary School

J. Michael — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 13:56:19 +0000

CFP Executive Director, Mbarouk Mussa Omar, and CFI Tanzania Country Director, J. Michael Tritchler, traveled to Konde Secondary School in the north of Pemba to celebrate Earth Day with students. With assistance from the students and teachers over 200 trees were planted at the site of Konde’s new secondary school, which should open next year.

CFP would like to thank Konde Secondary School for inviting us for Earth Day, and we would especially like to thank Moh’d the Headmaster as well as Teacher Doug for arranging the event.

Mbarouk began by explaining the importance of environmental conservation, while of course making the students laugh. He followed up the discussion with a demonstration of the proper way to plant a seedling.

The students were enthusiastic throughout. In fact, only 20 students from the Environmental Club were expected, but an amazing 70 students showed up for the Earth Day! It just goes to show that this new generation has grasped the importance of conserving their environment.

Happy Earth Day 2012 everyone! See more photos below:

Mike distributing seedlings to the students.

Students planting trees.

Mike Planting a tree with a student.

Students showing their seedlings

Teacher Doug from Konde Secondary School preparing to plant his Teak seedling

Konde Secondary School student showing his seedling

A group photo of CFP and Konde Secondary School

Mbarouk distributing juice and biscuits to the students

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Kokota Photo Update

Jeff — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 07:58:50 +0000

Check out the latest photo updated regarding CFI’s work on Kokota Islet. We’ve been busy with the school and rainwater tank construction as the heavy rains are only a few weeks away.

“An island off an island – no school and no fresh water”

From Kokota – The Beginning of Change, posted by on 3/21/2012 (21 items)

: Kokota is a small islet set off of Pemba Island in the Indian Ocean. Fishing is a way…

: CFI staff take a boat to Kokota, which can be seen straight ahead.

: There is no fresh water in Kokota. Each day villagers travel by wooden boat to Pemba …

: A cooking pot on a roof collects more rainwater

: Children lined the beach when we arrived. There is no school in Kokota so youth often…

: At present a Baobab tree is used as a classroom. CFP Executive Director, Mbarouk Muss…

: Kokotan Villagers had started building a school before we arrived. This is what they’…

: So CFI decided to support their effort. We agreed to supply the materials if Kokota s…

: 1200 bricks were transported for the school construction.

: Builders pick up where they’d left off.

: The school so far. We’re ready for the roof.

: The school from the back.

: So we’ve got a start on the school. How about the water? This picture shows the conta…

: We’re going to try and collect rainwater off of the schools roof. To do so we need to…

: The tank needs to be 1 meter below ground. CFI staff show Kokotans the depth required…

: The digging begins and the work is grueling.

: The coral rock be needs to be chipped away.

: Then carried off the site.

: The tank builders watch over the site preparation.

: Several Kokotans worked each day over a ten day span to get the site prepared.

: The amount of work that the villagers of Kokota have accomplished is amazing. They wo…

Generated by Facebook Photo Fetcher

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Feeding the Forest

Jeff — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:38:59 +0000

Yesterday CFI and CFP staff visited the community of Wawi, located in the Vitongoji village. The organization has been supporting the community’s efforts to plant trees and has identified Wawi as a good fit for an agroforestry demonstration site.

This year, in addition to planting the 306,000 trees that the organization has helped grow, Community Forest International and their communities want to make a valuable addition to Pemba’s tree-planting efforts – we want to add food to the equation. In addition to growing trees for fruit and timber we will start working some food producing crops into our forest planting activities. We aim to grow a mix of corn, millet, watermelon, red pepper, green peppers, sunflowers, pineapples, pigeon peas and tomatoes. By planting food producing crops amongst seedlings, communities will receive food and produce while waiting for the forests to grow. Wawi took to the idea right away and planted the 700 pineapple suckers the organization provided. By mixing food and forest together, communities can work to grow food while the forest feeds their prospects for the future.

The planted product

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Pemba Nursery Update

Jeff — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:11:57 +0000

Our partners in Pemba have been busy growing trees for this years planting season (April – May). Nine communities have grown 306,000 seedlings this year, which is a record for the project. There’s still lot’s to be done in the way of land preparation and seedlings care but 2012 looks like it’s going to be a great year for our Pemban greening effort.

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Timber Framing at Whaelghinbran

Zach — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:13:21 +0000

CFI members and staff came together recently to build a small timber frame structure at Whaelghinbran Farm. The frame is made from locally sourced, FSC approved red spruce, and is carved out by hand to create a series of interlocking timbers that are fastened together with wooden “nails”. The structure will be used as a bathroom facility for workshop participants this season. If you are interested in learning how to build your own timber frame don’t miss this years timber-framing workshop. Stay tuned for details!

Daimen, Gavin, and Dale, working on a timber-frame at Whaelghinbran Farm.

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New Brunswick Community Land Trust (NBCLT) to Host Info Sessions

Jeff — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:59:57 +0000

he New Brunswick Community Land Trust (NBCLT) will be hosting a series of information sessions concerning conservation tools available to farmers and woodlot owners interested in keeping their land in sustainable, healthy production for future generations. These working lands conservation easements allow landowners to maintain ownership and production of their land while protecting all or part of their land from certain development and/or activities (ie: subdivision, clearcutting, ect…). These voluntary agreements are developed jointly by the land owner and NBCLT and are specific to each individual and their situation. The NBCLT is the only group in N.B. to offer this kind of working land conservation tool and we want to get the word out to farmers and woodlot owners who may be interested in learning more about the specifics of working land conservation easements.

Please join us at any of the following community information sessions:

Sackville – Feb 9th -7:00-8:30pm
Royal Canadian Legion, Branch #26, 15 Lorne St. Sackville N.B.

Moncton - Feb 15th – -7:00-8:30pm,
Press Club,160 Assomption blvd. Moncton, N.B

Memramcook – March 1st, Location TBA. With New Brunswick Nature Trust (NBNT) and Canadian Parks And Wilderness Society (CPAWS)

*Sessions will be followed by workshops/discussions in late February and March. Dates TBA.

Who is The New Brunswick Community Land Trust?
The New Brunswick Community Land Trust (NBCLT) is a member based, volunteer, non-profit organization focused on holding conservation easements that ensure that farmland and woodlots are maintained in ecologically sustainable production and available for use by future generations of New Brunswickers.

Conservation Easements
A Conservation Easement is a voluntary, legally binding agreement which is developed between a landowner and a land trust. It outlines the land use restrictions which the owner wishes to place on their working land, so that it remains in sustainable production through time. A conservation easement allows land to be sold or passed on to the next generation. However, the future owners are required to abide by the stewardship principles of the Conservation Easement. As holder of the Conservation Easement, NBCLT is required to inspect the property annually, to ensure that land use and management practices adhere to the Conservation Easement.

For more info please visit www.nbclt.com

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CFI at Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC) – Feb 8 @ noon

Jeff — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:46:54 +0000

The following has been taken from the NSAC News site.

Planting Trees, Growing Communities

Community Forest International to speak at NSAC

Representatives from Community Forest International will be speaking at Nova Scotia Agricultural College as part of International Development Week activities on Wednesday, February 8th beginning at noon.

“NSAC International wants to connect NSAC and our community with global issues and believe we have a responsibility to contribute to environmental stewardship through our work,” said Anna Haanstra, project officer, NSAC International. “Bringing the vibrant energy of Community Forest International to NSAC campus is one way of achieving this.”

Community Forests International is a volunteer-driven organization, working to connect people and their communities to the forests that sustain them.

Building on the belief that a few strong-willed individuals can motivate for positive environmental change, Community Forests International fosters environmental stewardship internationally by establishing community forests, promoting sustainable forestry techniques and initiating environmental education.

Daimen Hardie, program director,is a longtime tree-planter and graduate of Mount Allison University. Before co-founding Community Forests International he worked as an arborist and homesteaded on his family woodlot in New Brunswick. Daimen now leads the organization’s projects at home and abroad.

Dale Prest, ecosystem service specialist, works to value the ecosystems services provided through good forestry. He has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Dalhousie University and is finishing up an M.Sc. at St. Francis Xavier University where he is investigating the long-term impact of clearcut harvesting on forest soil carbon storage in the Acadian Forest. Dale comes from Mooseland, NS, where he grew up logging in family owned woodlots.

Both will be speaking in Cox Institute room 24, Wednesday, February 8th beginning at noon. For a complete schedule of international development week activities please visit http://nsac.ca/international/

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Kokota Islet Update

Jeff — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:49:35 +0000

A few months ago I wrote about a small islet off of the main Pemba island called Kokota. This islet houses about 500 people despite a few shortcomings – Kokota lacks a fresh water source and a school, forcing villagers to travel to Pemba daily to fill up buckets of water for drinking and cooking. Although a slight divergence from our usual community tree-planting gig, we’ve decided to see what we can do to help this small vulnerable island. You can read my original post here.

CFP/CFI Getting ready to go to Kokota

Today the Community Forests Pemba team and I returned to Kokota Islet. We’ve been cooking up a way to provide this village with both water and an adequate school facility.

The school so far...

Over the past few years, the community has been trying to build a school with the few resources that they have and have managed to raise a few walls in a field near the village’s main cluster of houses. We’ve decided to help them finish the walls and put a roof on the structure. Once the roof is in place, we’ll work with Kokotans to build a huge 300,000 liter water tank behind the school, which will collect rain water from the school’s new roof. Two birds and one stone – water and education.

Future Kokotan Scholars beside soon-to-be obselete water buckets

Tree planting will come, but for now we want to make sure that these kids no longer have to help their parents travel to the island of Pemba for water. The dream is that they can instead spend their time learning under a roof that will do the water collection for them. Keep posted as updates will be sure to follow – the rainy season is 2-months a way, so we’re going to be busy.

-Jeff Schnurr

A final view of Kokota village

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Why Susan wants CFI to save her farm!

Jeff — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:47:33 +0000

Susan Tyler and Clark Phillips of Whaelghinbran Farm

Here’s what we think of the folks at Community Forests International:

They are young and full of positive energy.
They know how to work and they work hard.
They use their minds, their hearts and they use the rest of their muscles too.
They are intelligent and committed.
They do what they say they want to do.
They are joyful learners and teachers
And they inspire hope.

-Susan

For more information about the save the farm campaign please follow this link to the save the farm page. Over $100,000 has been raised to date.

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