Dear Supporters,
The end of the year was a little quieter for HTRIP’s Deschapelles activities. Tool distribution was completed, seed collection has begun, and community nursery work is well underway. As we prepare for the next phase of preparing for tree seedlings, the staff and our communities alike are able to take a moment to celebrate the end of year holidays. A hospital wide party for all HAS employees was a joyful occasion for the members of our staff.
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| Pruning to allow light into the new nursery |
HTRIP could not have asked for a better gift than the near completion of our new central nursery. The 40-foot shipping container arrived this month that will serve as our new and secure tool and storage depot. The recently completed barbed wire fence reinforced with spiked plants help prevent the goats and chickens from nibbling on our tree seedlings that are ready to get going. A 250 gallon water drum hooked up to the main water line will make watering trees much easier than our previous location. And the covered meeting space is just waiting for the final protective paint job.
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Head nursery gardener Gérard Petit Alberez-Noël
watering large compost piles. |
We continued our monthly educational program which focused on plant health in preparation for the nursery tree seedlings which will get going in late January and February.
The arrival of a GPS unit for each technician meant that we could begin filial plot control to collect data on the past year’s tree plantings. We have already begun with many days of hiking around our newest communities counting trees and collecting site data.
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A new meeting place with a pile of dirt for filling plants
making compost. |
When looking back at the challenges of previous years around this time, I am thankful for how smoothly things have been running here in Deschapelles. We can only hope that the New Year continues down this path as we face the normal struggles of trying to bring trees to the Artibonite Valley.
including Starry Sprenkle and Ross Bernet.
