Make A Difference (MAD) Market
88k Trees - Sponsor a Seedling with Nadine, Bioten, For The Future and MAD Travel
The Philippines is the most vulnerable country to climate change disasters. On top of that, we experience
1. Flood
2. Drought
3. Long dry seasons
Which translate into crop failure for farmers, billions spent on disaster, and higher energy spend and stress on the population. It also pushes food prices up and disrupts our lives. In some cases, triggering violence for the extremely poor.
What if there was a simple
solution to prevent flooding, reduce drought and manage our weather better so that farmers, fisher folk and us in the city can have a more enjoyable and smoother life?
We used to have 70% primary rain forest; today that number is below 3%
and its the main reason why it floods (trees absorb up to 2000 liters of water), there is drought (trees release hundreds of liters of water into rivers daily), and it gets hotter (trees can reduce temperature by 13 degrees Celsius).
Sponsor a seedling and help us empower our tree farmers in San Felipe Zambales to rebuild their 3,000 hectare rain forest. Together with our partners - Bioten, Nadine, For The Future, we are aiming to raise money for 88,000 trees.
You can see our proof of concept nursery below, which shows pictures of before and after the planting which we have tracked for over 5 years.
The growth of this 1,500 square meters of woodland has helped invite biodiveristy (honey bees, birds coming back) and has also reduced the temperature in the area. Its an amazing, regenerative spot to be in!
How does the program of 88k trees work?
Sponsor a tree. We use your P50 to grow the seedling in Zambales. Money goes to the seedling and community labor. We will then find counterpart funding to plant the trees.
When do you plant?
We start growing in January, so that by June when the rains come, we can plant in the mountains. The community will scale the mountains and expertly plant the trees at the beginning of the wet season so that the watering is automated.
How are they cared for?
The community will then be hired to return to the trees every 4 mos to kill grass, weeds and ensure that the tree survives. Replacements will be made for those that die. After 3 years, the trees will be tall and strong enough to survive on their own.
What is your methodology?
We are following a permaculture model where we are looking at minimal energy usage, and investing in growing the soil, so that the soil energizes the trees to grow strong and bear fruit. To do this, we also grow pioneer tree species that help create shade for the trees in the area, and will create a lot of leaf waste which turns into fertilizer and topsoil.
What are we planting?
We are planting some agro forestry crops, and some native trees. For 2020-2022, the focus will be on the agro forestry crops as we want to create immediate livelihood - cashew is our go to tree as it grows well in the volcanic ash of Zambales, and the community knows how to raise the tree well.
This may be followed by jackfruit, coconut, bignay, Tamarind (sampaloc) etc.
For native trees, we are planting Kupang, Narra, Yakal, Tibig, Akleng Gubat, etc.
Can i join the planting?
At the moment, no. Travel restrictions are still in place. We will contact you once travel is allowed and we can resume the tree planting programs safely.
How do i get updates on my tree?
By sponsoring a tree you will be eligible to receive exclusive updates from our projects - and also invited to different events once we can travel again!
Is this program related to Tribes and Treks?
Yes it is the agriculture and forestry side of the Tribes and Treks program launched by The Circle Hostel and MAD Travel in 2016. We are now focused on the environmental side while travel sleeps.
How long will this program run?
This is a part of a longer, 20 year plan to re-wild the planet and empower people in the province of Zambales. We've been around for 5 years now and rest assured we will be there for the next 20.
I want to learn more and help out!
We are always looking for help! please email info@madtravel.org
Check out the articles on this project:
https://stylemnl.net/you-too-can-help-nadine-lustre-raise-funds-to-plant-88000-trees/
https://www.upsize.ph/ourstories/2020/12/nadine-lustre-and-88000-trees
