Mexico

Educational outreach is an important part of the LCHPP’s program.  Each year environmental workshops and tree planting programs are presented by Jose Luis Alvarez and our local assistants in schools of the project areas. The objective is to foster good forest stewardship among children who will one day manage the forests.  As part of this program, thousands of trees are given to children each year to plant on school or other public properties with the participation of parents and teachers. In addition, many children also receive a tree to plant by their homes.  Technical support and seeds are given to schools to assist them in starting small greenhouses where children grow tree seedlings that they then plant on land by their schools and in their communities.  Our Mexican partner, LCHPP-Mexico, has provided thousands of seeds to schools for their greenhouse project which was also supported by Reforestamos Mexico, A.C.

Educational initiatives our project has introduced into the schools have been incorporated into curriculums that encompass forest ecology, watershed protection, and sustainable living from and with forests, while planning for future generations.

Tree planting participants receive technical assistance throughout the growing cycle that increases their understanding of how to maintain their trees.  This promotes an attitude of stewardship toward the forest.  One of our goals is to create a series of illustrated pamphlets that expand upon our verbal instructions to increase knowledge of forest management techniques.  In 2010 tree planting participants received the first of this series, a tree planting guide, Manual Para Sembrar un Arbolito. The simple Spanish text and easy to interpret illustrations make the pamphlet easily accessible to people with various levels of formal education.   It is printed on durable, weather-proof paper so the printed copies will last for years and can be easily shared by the participants.

United States

In the U.S., Board members Maraleen Manos-Jones, M.A, Sue Sill, Ph.D. and Deborah Gangloff, Ph.D. continue to give public programs for adults and children in various venues within their geographic area.  These include schools, libraries, museums and other public forums and encourage the creation of pesticide free, nectar-laden gardens with mostly native-plants, including host plants for the caterpillars of various butterflies in any given area. This is not only good for the environment, but it is essential to the survival of butterflies in general.  Various species of milkweed are a crucial monarch food plant, as they are the only plants on which monarch caterpillars can survive.  Milkweed seeds are frequently distributed at these programs.

To inquire about arranging a program, you may contact our Outreach Office:
La Cruz Habitat Protection Project, Inc.
434 Bostock Road
Shokan, New York 11217
Phone: (845) 657-8073
Email: maraleen@lchpp.org