Introduction to the complex, visionary, and often inspiring world of food forest gardening, an ecological approach to growing food like a forest. Come get your hands dirty in CFI’s working model, and learn how to transform your lawn into a lush, edible woodland (see our before and after photos below!)
Where: Sackville Community Garden – Charles Street, Sackville, NB
When: June 1st 1pm – 4 pm
Cost: Free!
Food Forest Year 1 and Year 4
A Pemba boy plants CFI's millionth tree
On May 22, at 11:32 East Africa Time, villagers from the island of Pemba watched as a young boy took Community Forests International past the million tree milestone. Our communities have worked hard over the years, spending countless hours working to grow and plant trees for the betterment of future generations. It is with great pride that we make this announcement today for our journey has not been easy. We can now say with assurance that Community Forests International, Community Forests Pemba and our community partners are here to stay. The future of our planet depends on the hard work of our earth’s rural communities and we thank the people that have worked to make this happen. We thank you Pembans for your commitment to making our world a better place.
In true CFI style we celebrated the event by planting another 1000 trees. We cannot thank our supporters and our communities enough. Thanks to those of you that have believed in us along the way. This success is ours to share.
Position: Event Coordinator
Organization: Community Forests International www.forestsinternational.org
Location: Sackville, New Brunswick
Community Forests International is an start-up environmental NGO working in both Canada and Tanzania. In Canada we offer a sustainability workshop series, providing hands-on experiences in land-use and alternative living. We are seeking a enthusiastic and driven individual interested in ecology and cutting edge environmental issues. Please consider applying if you’re looking to gain skills in the not-for profit sector.
This job will consist of both office and field work; coordinating events and workshops and working with community members to strengthen a positive connection to the natural environment.
Duties:
This position will facilitate workshops on restoration forestry, forest management for carbon offsets, backyard beekeeping, permaculture, organic gardening, horse-logging, native plant identification and use, native pollinators, and watercourse restoration; also including Acadian Forest biodiversity presentations and public engagement events.
Responsibilities include:
Skills:
All applicants must be registered in full-time in the previous academic year and must intend on returning to school full-time for the 2013-2014 academic year. Community Forests International encourages everyone to apply including those from traditionally underrepresented groups such as women, visible minorities and First Nations.
Wage: $12/hour, 35 hours/week
Number of weeks to be determined (ending August 31 2013)
To apply, please e-mail your resume and a brief covering letter to
jobs@forestsinternational.org*
or mail it to Community Forests International, 10 School Lane, Sackville, NB E4L 3J9
as soon as possible and not later than May 31, 2013.
No telephone calls, follow-up emails or agencies please.
Applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada.
Position: Communications Coordinator
Organization: Community Forests International www.forestsinternational.org
Location: Sackville, New Brunswick
Community Forests International is a start-up environmental NGO working in both Canada and Tanzania. The communications coordinator will promote CFI’s environmental initiatives and communicate information including public outreach, education events, volunteer opportunities, youth outreach, restoration and tree planting events. The communications coordinator will be responsible for sharing information relating to all events and initiatives facilitated by CFI.
Duties:
Skills
All applicants must be registered in full-time in the previous academic year and must intend on returning to school full-time for the 2013-2014 academic year. Community Forests International encourages everyone to apply including those from traditionally underrepresented groups such as women, visible minorities and First Nations.
Wage: $12/hour, 35 hours/week
Number of weeks to be determined (ending August 31 2013)
To apply, please e-mail your resume and a brief covering letter to
jobs@forestsinternational.org
*or mail it to Community Forests International, 10 School Lane, Sackville, NB E4L 3J9
as soon as possible and not later than May 31, 2013.
No telephone calls, follow-up emails or agencies please.
Applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada.
Where: Sackville Community Garden – Charles Street, Sackville, NB
When: May 25th 1pm – 4 pm
Cost: Free!
CFI Food Forest - Before & 4 Years After!
CFP Agroforestry Officer, Ali Hamad Ali, demonstrates grafted mango planting - Pujini, Pemba
A call for permanent agriculture from 1929 may come as a surprise to those more familiar with the modern ‘Permaculture’ movement. Emphasis on trees in food production systems goes back even further than J. Russell Smith though, thousands of years back. The ancient Moxos of northeast Bolivia, for instance, practiced a wetland agriculture that included highly diverse hilltop “forest gardens”. These gardens included dozens of varieties of tree fruits and nuts, and once supported some of the densest populations in the Amazon.
In a practice known as Agroforestry, CFI is now working with small-scale farmers across Pemba to incorporate food and forest trees into traditional agricultural systems. Appropriately selected trees provide an array of valuable ecosystem functions on farms, including erosion control, water conservation, increased fertility, microclimate regulation, and carbon sequestration. The results of transitioning from traditional monocrop agriculture to agroforestry include higher and more diverse yields leading to improved food security and nutrition, reduced reliance on external resources, and greater all around ecological health – all of which contribute to improving climate change resilience.
CFI is helping to put trees to work on Pemban farms; harnessing one of nature’s most powerful engines in the fight against climate change. To learn more about Agroforestry, check out The World Agroforestry Centre.
Children distribute fruit trees for roadside hedgerow planting - Pujini, Pemba
Planting coconut borders surrounding community rice fields -Pujini, Pemba
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We need your help!
We are helping to restore an old gravel pit into a marsh wetland to restore the natural beauty and biological diversity within the City of Moncton.
On May 16th we are planting A LOT of native plants in the marsh - and many hands make light work!!
Please consider coming out and helping to restore the natural beauty within the city.
Email info@forestsinternational.org or call 536-3738 for more information.
Horse Logging
Ecological Forestry
Wildcrafting
Permaculture
Agroforestry
Timber Framing
2013 SUMMER WORKSHOP # 1
Food Forest Gardening 101
Introduction to the complex, visionary, and often inspiring world of food forest gardening, an ecological approach to growing food like a forest. Come get your hands dirty in CFI’s working model, and learn how to transform your lawn into a lush, edible woodland (see our before and after photos below!)
Where: Sackville Community Garden – Charles Street, Sackville, NB
When: May 25th 1pm – 4 pm
Cost: Free!
CFI Food Forest - Before & 4 Years Later!
More summer workshop details coming soon.
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The Kokota School school when CFI first visited the islet
Although school building wasn’t our typical project we took it on. We completed the school and built a 300,000-liter rainwater harvesting system capable of supplying the community with fresh water. As of early January, the Tanzanian government agreed to support the school by providing teachers. We then worked with the community to grow food and plant trees. We even lobbied the government to sign over the land around the village to community ownership.
Kokota's school today
Rainwater storage system behind the school
Kokotan women growing food for their families
In February of 2013, Jeff Schnurr and Sebastian Manchester of CFI will be returning to Kokota in order to provide the islet with electricity. We’ve designed a solar panel system that will provide power to the school and mosque. We’re also working on a portable power system that will allow villagers to charge motorcycle batteries at the school and then carry the batteries home to power lights. Keep posted and we’ll share our progress.
]]>Copis trifolia
Picture taken in Nova Scotia. Drisdelle 2012.
Another native plant to the Acadian Forest, this flower blooms in early June and is very small. It’s hard to find but you have probably seen this plant growing as a ground cover under the canopy. A little digging around reveals bright yellow roots (hence the name) that are small and travel far.
Medicinally this herb is used to cleanse and support the liver and blood. The root is very bitter and said to help relieve thirst. Something to think about the next time you’re lost in the woods.
This plant is threatened due to disappearing habitat; learn how to identify it and protect it on your land.
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