Page 1Johnny Ipil-Seed News Vol. XII, No. 4

The quarterly newsletter of Trees for the FutureWoodcutting of John Chapman

courtesy of J.J. Lippincott Winter 2004 Vol. XII, No. 4

Central America Updatehe demand for tree seeds keeps growing quicklyin all the countries our program reaches. That

especially includes Central America, and so Daverecently traveled to the region. His report:

In Belize, Frank Brechin met me at the airport andgave a report of recent happenings. It seems the coun-try is in deep financial trouble; funds for a number ofprojects never became available. Many governmentemployees are being laid off and unemployment iswidespread. We visited Thara and Rigoberto Blanco,who have maintained the program of TREES BELIZE,despite the difficult times there. We hope to continueassisting their environmental education program forthe year ahead.

The End of a Species?Through TREES BELIZE, we provided about

340,000 seeds of Belize Pine to a project hoping tosave this species. Belize Pine is a slow-growing tree,with very dense wood, that was highly prized in thepast for ship-building. As forests were cleared, the land

was replanted despite our advice that theyshould not be planted as a single species. Ashappens so often with monocultures, itbecame weaker and more susceptible to dis-ease with each new generation.

I passed many areas reforested with thesetrees. The recent hurricane and continuinginfestation by the pine bark beetle havetaken a toll: at least 60% of all the BelizePine planted this way are dead or greatlydamaged. We are working with severallocal organizations, planting species such asthe Indian tree called mundani, as possible

The loss of the Belize Pine. Above right: TREES’ representative John Colemangazes up the trunk of one of our four-year old mahogany trees.

T

continued on page 3

Page 2Johnny Ipil-Seed News Vol. XII, No. 4

Johnny Ipil-Seed News is aquarterly newsletter of TREESFOR THE FUTURE, Inc., anonprofit organization dedicat-ed to helping people of theworld’s poorest communitiesto begin environmentally bene-ficial, self-help projects.

This newsletter is printed onrecycled paper with soy-basedink and is sent to all supportingmembers to inform them ofrecent events, plans, financialmatters and how their supportis helping people.

BOARD OF DIRECTORSDr. John R. Moore,

Dr. Peter FalkMr. Oscar GruspeMr. Dave DeppnerMr. Hank Dearden

FOUNDERSDave and Grace Deppner

PROGRAM MANAGERSBedru Sultan, East Africa

Chris Wells, Asia John Leary, W. Africa

Eric Jacobson, Education ProgramGabby Mondragon,

PhilippinesMelissa Kolb, Central Amer.

Omar Ndao, Senegal

If you wish to receive thisnewsletter, or would like moreinformation, please contact:TREES FOR THE FUTURE

The Loret Miller RuppeCenter for

Sustainable Development9000 16th Street, P.O. Box 7027

Silver Spring, MD 20907

Toll Free: 1-800-643-0001Ph: 301-565-0630

Fax: 1-301-565-5012info@treesftf.org,www.treesftf.org

Senegal: The Technology Spreads with AppreciationIf you have read past articles on the project in Senegal, then you know we are

helping communities save their lands and way of life. You know that trees arehelping communities in the Department of Kaffrine protect and improve the verysoil that must feed their families for generations. You know we’ve been by theirside through locusts and droughts. You know that 20 new communities are askingto join the program. BUT did you realize the extent to which TREES Techniciansserve as American ambassadors to communities of all religions around the world?

“The Quran saysthere is nothing betterthan planting a tree ordigging a well,” saysBabou Ndao, a trainerat the MaisonFamiliale Association.“And you help us doboth.”Not far from TREES’

agroforestry trainingsites, the US Missionhelped build a health

hut (where we helped plant beautiful shade trees), and since my days as the firstPeace Corps Volunteer in the region - and more volunteers have followed - theentire region has become well aware of the goodness and generosity of theAmerican people.Wherever we go, not just in Senegal, people are most happy to learn that the help

we give comes directly from the hands of concerned Americans - people who arevery concerned for them and wish them a better life.

Top: Passing out tens of thousands of treeseedlings with the help of local volunteers;Right: A farmers sitting next to his double-

lined windbreak; Below: TREES’ TechnicianJohn Leary discussing soil erosion with a

Senegalese farmer.

Page 3Johnny Ipil-Seed News Vol. XII, No. 4

Central America Update continuedalternative sources of wood for construction.

A Farm in Forest HomeFurther south I met Ruth and John Coleman at their

home near Punta Gorda. I suggested starting a treeseed propagation center on the land near their home.They think it's a great idea and, right away, we beganwalking the land, laying out a plan.

The area needed is small - less than three acres - butwill produce seed from more than a dozen types ofmulti-purpose trees, including four types of Leucaena,two types of Acacia and Albizia, and three types ofCassia - over 600 trees in all. These will form a lightcanopy over the entire farm and the seed trees will beinterspersed with fruit and hardwood species.

Located as it is along the major highway, we expectmany visitors who, when receiving high quality seeds,will also see various ideas for inter-cropping, forageproduction, water conservation and erosion control.

Trees for Twelve Towns in the Lake RegionTravelling on to Honduras, I met officers of the

COMIXMUL women's cooperative in Siguatepeche.Now with more than 10,500 members, they have aplan to plant 1.4 million trees, in five communities,over the next three years.

With our staff technician Melissa Kolb, who livesthere, I traveled to meet Oscar Ochoa, President ofSEMILLAS TROPICAL, where we now get much ofour seed for the area. We spent the following day deter-mining the needs for the program starting in January inthe Lake Country. Melissa, with the technicians fromthe participating groups, has encouraged a dozentowns to join for the planting season that will soonbegin.We received more good news up the road at the shore

of Lake Yojoa where we met Jorge Betancourt,Director of AMUPROLAGO, which is a union of localorganizations attempting to save this greatly threat-ened resource.

Jorge, who was Associate Director for NaturalResources of Peace Corps/Honduras for more than 16years, wants to be part of our team! He believes that,together, we can apply a Peace Corps-type approach toshow people of the Lake Region how trees willimprove their lives - while rebuilding the groundwatertables that can save the lake.

He offered, and we quickly accepted, a new home -right on the shore of Lake Yojoa and along the nation-

al highway in a building owned by the Ministry ofTourism. Now we have a place for training workshops,good communications with both the farmers' associa-tions and the environmentally-concerned groups sur-rounding the Lake. It looks like a great year ahead forTREES in Central America.

Oscar Ochoa , President of Setro seed company, shows Dave therapid growth of the Mundani tree. This tree is three years old.Among its many uses is as a shade tree for coffee, as shown.

continued from page 1

US$40.00Global Cooling Certificate> Plants 400 Trees, enough to offset annual emmissions ofa large vehicle AND someone’s vacation travel> GC Certificate, Bumpersticker, and Window decal> The Johnny Ipil-Seed Quarterly Newsletter

US$50.00Special Gift: The Moringa KitKnown as another Miracle Tree by agroforesters andfarmers, Moringa is now grown around the world as avitamin-rich food supplement for people and animals. > Packet of seeds with directions on growing. > A color booklet describing its amazing qualities and usesaround the world, > Half of the fifty dollar donation will plant 250 Moringatrees in a project in Haiti, Senegal, or Ethiopia.> Call while supplies last 1-800-643-0001

Page 4Johnny Ipil-Seed News Vol. XII, No. 4

Four Alternative GiftsAlternative GiftsLet TREES do your Holiday shopping!

Altrnative Gift Donationsof $90.00 or more receive

a FREE one year sub-scription to:

Gifts that help the environment and give throughout the year

US$90.00Plant a Grove of 900 Trees & You Receive:> A Plant-A-Grove Certificate and Bumpersticker> The Johnny Ipil-Seed Quarterly Newsletter> A FREE One Year Subscription to E Magazine (A 20$ Value)

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TTrees produce fruit, animal forage, rich organic fertilizer, nuts, medicine, and slow hillside erosion.TThere is not a community in the world that does not need more trees.

EEverywhere we go people are happy to learn that the help we give comes directly from the hands of concerned Americans.

Certificates can be ordered atwww.treesftf.org or by calling

1-800-643-0001

Page 5Johnny Ipil-Seed News Vol. XII, No. 4

TREE PALS: Revived and Revised

News at the Ruppe Center

In 1994, Trees For The Futurestarted a program for 4th and 5thgrade students that combined envi-ronmental education with socialaction and cross-cultural exchange.Students were engaged in plantingtrees to reduce the amount of car-bon dioxide in our atmosphere, aswell as raising money for studentsin foreign countries to plant trees attheir schools. Now, a decade later,TREES is reviving that programand updating its curriculum withoutlosing the caring spirit and world-wide perspective that were funda-mental to the original project.

Still in development, Tree Pals isan environmental education pro-gram for Grades 3-8 that engagesstudents in hands-on scientificexploration while fostering a senseof stewardship. The program isdesigned to educate students about

the importance of treesand ecosystems, from sci-entific, social and eco-nomic perspectives. It willalso help to empower stu-dents to take actions torestore the environment intheir communities, and toprovide a global perspec-tive of nature and its role in humansociety. The curriculum is centeredon scientific investigation of thestudent's neighborhood habitat, butit also encourages broader aware-ness of the role of trees and plantsin both ecosystems and as naturalresources. A flexible program to fit most any

school curriculum, there are manyvarious activities for students tolearn both outdoors and in the class-room. Participating schools will beprovided lesson plans and activity

guides, and teachers willbe invited to attend work-shops to further theirknowledge of relatedsubjects. In collabora-tion with local andstatewide organizations,specialists and volunteerswill be available to give

lectures for parents and the schoolcommunity, to assist with programactivities, and to provide expertiseand guidance for both students andteachers alike.We are looking for schools to help

us implement the Tree Pals pro-gram beginning this winter andspring! If you would like moreinformation or would like to getinvolved with the Tree Pals pro-gram, please email Eric Jacobson ateric@treesftf.org.

Miria from Uganda, Reggie from Ghana, FatherJean Claude from Congo, and Father Bonifacefrom Senegal all made visits to the Ruppe Center inthe month of October for the same reason: to launchtree planting projects in their native homelands.

Miria is working with the Church of Uganda toreforest three regions in eastern Uganda. Fr. JeanClaude founded the Jatukik Foundation in Congoand needs TREES’ help in selecting and plantingbeneficial trees at ecovillages he is helping establish.As the project in Ghana develops, you will likelyhere more: it is combining a strong effort of veg-etable production with the planting of a wide array oftrees. Father Boniface is concerned about hard-wood species in his native region of Casamance andwas glad to hear the John will visit his parish nexttime he makes a field trip to Senegal.

Everyday we help projects like these design solidaction plans to implement tree planting projectsworld-wide. John, Sylvie, and Grace standing with Father Boniface of Senegal

(behind on the left) and Father Jean Claude from Congo (right).

Trying to Save Energy

Who could have guessed that ouroffice has too many shade trees tomake the use of solar panels feasible?After meeting at the Green Festival in

September, Richard Deutschmann,of Chesapeake Wind & Solar LLC,visited the Ruppe Center to conduct asolar site assessment - the bottom line:too many trees. Instead he recom-mended an energy audit which shouldbe able to identify conservation tech-niques that we have addressed yet.

The technicians at ChesapeakeWind & Solar combine for over 30years of designing and installingrenewable energy systems.

Though there won’t be any solar inour future, we pointed out to Richardthat trees are solar energy for most ofthe world, and we’re helping theworld plant them.

Green Festival

Trees for the Future was one of 350 Green Exhibitorsat Washington DC’s first Green Festival, September18-19. We networked with as many of the 15,334 like-minded artists, speakers, advocates, businesses, andparticipants as we could - signing upnew members and teaching participantsabout the sustainable land use includingtree planting.

One of hi-lights, besides the freeStonyfield yoghurt, was our visit fromActress Lisa Harrow. Lisa, a speaker atthe Festival, has played many lead rolesin theater, film, and television. Her newbook, What Can I Do? An Alphabet forLiving, features TREES’ founders, Daveand Grace Deppner, as ‘People WhoDid.’ Copies of “What Can I Do?” areavailable for $7.95 at chelseagreen.com.

We thank Lisa and the Green Festivalfor the opportunity to reach so manyenvironmentally-concerned people.

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From Russia with Love

The Farmer to Farmer Program, which oftensends TREES’ Technicians to tropical developingcountries, needed an expert in chicken and turkey pro-duction who also has an MBA - Dave was the onlycandidate for the quick consulting trip. “Anyone withan MBA is smart enough not to raise chickens andturkeys,” jokes Dave. We’ll have a full report in ournext newsletter.

Introducing Eric Jacobson

Eric comes to us from New York by way of theUniversity of Pennsylvania where he earned his degreein biology.After studyingand volunteer-ing in CostaRica andPanama, Ericworked for theD i s c o v e r yC r e e kC h i l d r e n ’ sMuseum inW a s h i n g t o n ,DC. He is now head-ing up our TreePals Programthrough USschools and working to expand our tree plantingefforts here at home. If you have any questions or ideasfor Eric, he wants to hear from you! Making new friends: Dave with Tatyana and Vachislav

Dorozhkina at their farm in Yalanka, Saradova.

Page 7Johnny Ipil-Seed News Vol. XII, No. 4

We've long held that, ofitself, there's nothing wrongwith burning wood as fuel -if it is done correctly. Morethan half the world useswood as their primary fuelsource, often for lack ofalternatives. More often forlack of money.

Wood is called environ-mentally friendly: although

it sends carbon into the atmosphere, new trees aregrowing to replace the ones that were burned, remov-ing even more carbon than the burning caused. So ourquarrel is not with those who use treesbut, rather, with those who cut downtrees (often the wrong species) anddon't replace them.By now I've surely stirred up plenty of

comments: is it, then, all right to cutdown an ancient forest and replace itwith a "tree farm" (as we have beendoing across this country for more thana century)? No, for the same reason youhelp us save and bring back endangereddiversity all around the world - climatechange isn't our only worry.

And what about the age-old saying"waste not, want not"? Again, we spenda lot of your generous support introduc-ing fuel-efficient stoves and otherapplications and, at home, stressing thecritical need to develop alternate fuels.

A while back I was having breakfastwith Philippine Governor AmorDeloso and his wife Sally - mayor ofBotolan Town. Gov commented, "in thelast election I won by over 4,000 votes.Sally won by only 17. Know why?"Sally's nostrils were starting to flare. "Because shepushed through a law banning sale of charcoal."

Botolan's population includes over 5,000 aboriginepeople, called "Aetas," living in the upland barrioswhere the forests were cleared a century ago and, for anumber of reasons, including charcoal selling, theforests never came back.And now the famous DeLoso bite: "So, Dave, what do

you say about it?", putting me squarely between hus-

band and wife.My answer: "well, there's black charcoal and then

there's green charcoal. I think we should ban blackcharcoal and encourage producing the green kind."(Obviously this answer failed to satisfy either side, butit at least brought them together so they could turn alltheir frustrations against me) - "What's this green char-coal thing he's trying to hand us?"

So I explained that "green charcoal" means it's sus-tainably produced. It requires planting trees, in fact,planting the kinds of trees that can be harvested timeand again, always growing back faster after each har-vest. Yes, the wood is burned but the leaves (that's over60% of the biomass of these trees) continuously go

right back adding humus to the soil.The trees also provide a number ofother important services.It took some convincing but eventual-

ly the idea stuck. The law has beensomewhat modified. All sides seem tobe fairly pleased and, bit by bit, thoseuplands are turning green again.

This brings us around to the first ruleof development, which includes envi-ronmental development, which is:Don't break anybody's rice bowl.Upland peoples throughout theDeveloping World are routinelyblamed for activities that actually has-ten their own demise. Haiti, this year, isthe prime example, where entire vil-lages wander the upland watersheds,cutting anything they can turn intocharbon. Because nearly all cooking inHaiti is done with charcoal, there isalways a ready market - often the onlymoney families can earn.

These families are forced to make atough choice: they know this is

destroying the land and, with it, their future. But theirchildren need food today!

This choice doesn't have to be made. Green charcoalis only one of a great number of proven ideas we intro-duce that can better their lives - and rebuild the land -all at the same time. For the year ahead, please help us reach more of these

families, while there is still time to avoid tragediessuch as came to Haiti this year.

Opinion: About Green Charcoal

The hydra: After the first branch ofthis Madre de Cacao tree in Haiti

was harvested, seven new branches regrew.

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Printed by wind energy on recycled paper with soy ink

In This Issue

Report from Belize andHonduras

Ambassadors to the WorldPage 2

Alternative Holiday GiftsPage 4

Getting Backinto US Schools

Page 5

Hi-Lights from the Green FestivalPage 7

Also inside: Opinion on Green Charcoal, Reflections from RussiaIn the Spring Issue: TREES’ Nurseries in Haiti, Ghana Update

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