La Cruz Habitat Protection Program

Compelling New Video

admin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:22:57 +0000

With the support of October Hill Foundation, LCHPP launched a new and updated video in time to be featured on the new website. The video explains the need and the strategy for this important and successful reforestation program.

5 Million Tree Milestone

admin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:21:27 +0000

As of the summer of 2010, we are proud to announce that we have planted over five million trees. (5,143,595 trees to be exact); 673,040 were planted in 2010, with American Forests ReLeaf campaign and October Hill Foundation each sponsoring 200,000 of these trees. With your help, we can reach our goal of planting one million trees each year for the monarchs, the environment and for the local people. We are grateful to October Hill foundation for their consistent and continuing support of our project since 1998. They have made it possible for this project to continue and grow through tough economic times. American Forests Global ReLeaf campaign has been a strong supporter since 2007 and has made it possible for our project to grow fill a greater role in restoring forests for Monarchs. We very much appreciate their important support. For more information about this wonderful organization, please visit: http://www.americanforests.org

New Planting Guide Created & Distributed

admin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:18:50 +0000

A planting guide, Manual Para Sembrar un Arbolito, was been designed by Jose Luis Alvarez with input from the Forests for Monarchs team, as well as other experienced foresters working in the highlands of Michoacán. The illustrated pocket sized guide was written in simple Spanish with easy to follow images. It was printed in Mexico on plasticized paper and is narrow enough to fit into a pocket, making it serviceable as a durable field guide that can be shared among communities. The guide will reinforce verbal instructions we give our participants. It covers choosing a site, spacing, planting, and caring for the young trees. The booklets were distributed with our trees in the summer of 2010. Copies were also shared with other reforestation organizations working in the Michoacan highlands. The information contained in the booklet is applicable to temperate zone reforestation across Latin America and is available as a download on our website.

The manual can be downloaded from our Publications page.

LCHPP Co-Sponsors Forum on Reforestation in the Monarch Region

admin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:17:22 +0000

A forum on reforestation in the region of the Monarch Biosphere Reserve was held Oct. 1 & 2, 2009 in Tuxpan de las Flores, Michoacan. Twenty people attended from ngo’s working in the region. The goal of the forum was to build communication, collaboration and synergy among the various NGOs that are reforesting in the region of the Monarch Biosphere Reserve. A spirit of collaboration and cooperation was fostered by the forum and is expected to create a synergy that will aid restoring the forests, the environment for the monarchs, the local people and the global climate. Sponsors of this forum were: Reforestamos Mexico, La Cruz Habitat Protection Project, Inc., and the Michoacan Reforestation Fund, Inc. (now the Monarch Butterfly Fund.)

Executive Director joins tree distribution

admin — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 00:32:39 +0000

During the summer planting season of 2008, Dr. Sue Sill, President and Executive Director spent three weeks in Michoacan to learn more about the operation of the reforestation project LCHPP-Mexico, which LCHPP, Inc. supports. By accompanying Sr. Alvarez as he delivered trees, she witnessed and participated in the distribution of trees. The experience gave her an important new perspective on the project and a renewed appreciation of what it takes to make the project work. She left even more convinced of the value of LCHPP’s efforts to the environment, and to the betterment of the lives of people who have essentially been denied the benefits of 21st century life. It was painfully apparent that there is much more need, and demand for trees, than LCHPP is currently able to satisfy. While it is as important as ever that LCHPP continue its work in the Monarch area, this trip demonstrated LCHPP’s expansion into the watersheds of Lake Pátzcuaro and Lake Zhirahuén came none too soon. The continued loss of wetlands on the western edge of Lake Pátzcuaro, and the deforestation of the slopes around both lakes is shocking. Avocado orchards are rapidly replacing forests and corn fields around both lakes. Is it possible that climate change is affecting these mountainsides, since the region was formerly considered too cold for avocados? Avocados are a lucrative cash crop, but they offer little protection to the topsoil, and require heavy chemical use, which will soon end up in the lakes. By making native trees available to ejidos and small land owners of the area, LCHPP may be able to play a role in slowing the conversion of land to avocados, and help restore it to forest. Since government programs make payments to certain small landowners for ecological services to reimburse them for restoring and managing forests, it seems possible that some of the plots originally expected to be managed for harvesting may actually be allowed to mature. This is good news for the biodiversity of the region, since the reestablishment of epiphytes requires mature trees, and it takes many years without clearing for the under-story plants of the forest floor to recover.

300,000 trees planted in 2008

admin — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 00:32:00 +0000

During the summer planting season of 2008, LCHPP, Inc. is sponsoring the planting of 300,000 new trees in the highlands of Michoacan. 200,000 of these are being planted in or near the Monarch Biosphere Reserve to restore the forests and the climate for the butterflies and for the people of the region. Of these, 150,000 are sponsored by American Forests, Global Releaf Forests program. Private individuals, families, and groups are sponsoring the remaining 50,000 trees. The other 100,000 trees are being planted on the watersheds of Lakes Patzcuaro and Lake Zirahuen, and are sponsored by October Hill Foundation.

American Forests Global Releaf Campaign sponsors 150,000 trees in 2008

admin — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 00:31:22 +0000

After a site visit to review our project in the fall of 2007, American Forests Global Releaf Campaign has increased their support of our reforestation project. In the summer 2008 planting season, they are sponsoring the planting of 150,000 trees in the monarch area. LCHPP, Inc. greatly appreciates American Forests’ financial support that is helping us to accomplish our mission. For more information about American Forests Global Releaf Campaign go to: http://www.americanforests.org

Tree Planting Program to Expand to Watersheds of Highland Lakes

admin — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 00:27:41 +0000

In 2008 the LCHPP program will expand to include the watersheds of two important and imperiled highland lakes of Michoacan. To realize this goal, October Hill Foundation has offered a $50,000 challenge to be matched by other funds and begin planting around the environmentally, culturally and economically important Lake Patzcuaro and nearby Lake Zirahuen. Ancient P’urhepecha, who lived on the shores and the islands of Lake Patzcuaro, were the only people of Mexico at the time who were never conquered by the Aztecs. They believed the lake was the gateway to heaven. Today, they still live there and depend on the lake for their spiritual and physical well-being, however, the lake is rapidly disappearing. It is being filled by siltation caused by deforestation of the mountain slopes that surround it. LCHPP is already exploring possible collaborators in the area. We need your help to save what is left of this beautiful and historic lake.

80,000 trees planted in 2007

admin — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 00:26:49 +0000

LCHPP is proud to announce that with the help of American Forests Global ReLeaf, October Hill Foundation, Spirit of Butterflies Tours, and many individuals across the US and Canada, LCHPP, Inc. was able to plant 80,000 new trees in its inaugral year of 2007. We are currently working toward a goal of planting 250,000 trees in 2008 and already have a committment from October Hill Foundation to support this goal.

American Forests Funding Received

admin — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 00:24:07 +0000

A grant from American Forests will plant 50,000 trees in the monarch area during the summer 2007 planting season. For more information about American Forests Global Releaf Campaign go to: http://www.americanforests.org