New Contract for Patuca

Dear reader, The days are flying by and it will soon be spring, as it will in Honduras. During the last months we have been working intensively on a new contract between Naturefund and the Asociación Patuca. During many discussions, we not only composed a step by step contract concerning our collaboration over the next three years, but also talked about our dreams and visions for the park.

Reforest and purchase

In doing so we came back to two important points again and again which we have now incorporated into the new contract: firstly, in the future we will not only reforest, but also „purchase“ woodland areas. The Patuca National Park is itself protected by law, therefor the buying or selling of the land is, in principle not possible.

Like the Wild West

However, covering an area of  3.775 km² the park is huge. The number of state-financed workers employed to protect the land is very small. As a result, during the last years it has become the trend to occupy and clear areas within the National Park and sell them to cattle farmers, for example. It is a little bit like the Wild West. Due to Naturefunds limited financial resources and size there is very little it can do to prevent this, but still there are other areas of woodland within the park where we work with Asociación Patuca, with people and communities who are more open to the idea of protection.

Preserve many species

Therefore, over the next three years we intend to purchase or lease the remaining islands of woodland around the populated areas, or do what ever is most effective to protect them. If we succeed, we can preserve a number of species which could make reforestation easier in the future.

Forest garden method

Together with the communities, we want to develop a protection concept for these islands of woodland. One idea for example is to reforest the areas around these islands using the forest garden method. With this method primary forests can form while at the same time the area can be utilised for agricultural production, which leads to the second important point we touched upon during our talks: in the future, local communities living in the National Park will play an important role in our effort to protect the land.

Positive reaction

This is why we have incorporated them as partners in the contract. Of course, each community can decide whether they want to take part or not, however, last january and february when we presented them with the new contract, and proposed their possible roles, the reaction was very positive. This was the first time that the communities and  people had been offered the possibility of participating in such a project.

Explosion of creative ideas

Since then, there has been an explosion of creative ideas. In the future we will not only send reports, but also publicise videos in which the inhabitants can present their ideas and visions concerning the National Park. The first little video is already online, in which Candy Alvarado, the head of reforestation shows the viewer around the office of the Asociación Patuca in the capitol city of Tegucigalpa. Nelly Paz, the director of the  Asociación shot the footage. As a result it is a little shaky and not quite James Cameron's „Titanic“: Video, Candy Alvarado introduces the Asociación Patcua. And – with your help we reached our intended goal of 34,000 trees: www.naturefund.de/trees We wish you a happy spring! Best regards
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