Watershed Protection in El Bote
The El Bote Forest Reserve was established to protect the watersheds, forests, and longevity of the micro-hydro project in El Bote. Unfortunately, traditional “slash and burn” farming practices have put the watershed, water supply, and micro-hydro system in jeopardy. Thanks to the support of many generous Green Empowerment donors and a grant from the World Conservation Union (IUCN), 1300 acres are protected in the El Bote Forest Reserve. Outside of the forest reserve, our local partner, ATDER-BL continues to teach farmers how to cultivate their parcels more sustainably and protect the watershed.
Slash and burn agriculture.The Problem:
A century ago the Nicaraguan rainforest stretched unbroken from the border of Nicaragua to the frontier of Honduras. Today, it only exists in two protected parcels—the Bosawas and Indio-Maiz Biological Reserves. In order to protect the Nicaraguan rainforest, we need your help raising money for this project.
Agro-forestry farming helps subsistence farmers boost their income AND preserve natural habitat.What is the Bosawas?
The Bosawas Biosphere covers over 2 million acres of Nicaragua, making it the largest intact rainforest in Central America. It is extremely rich in biodiversity accounting for 7,000 species of plants, 600 species of amphibians and reptiles, and more than 700 types of birds.
It is home to a rich array of rare plants and animals including jaguars, howler monkeys, canopy orchids, and massive mahogany, rubber, and rosewood trees. Though the Nicaraguan Constitution protects the Reserve, illegal logging and “slash and burn” subsistence agriculture threaten the forests of the BOSAWAS biosphere. Those same problems have already caused significant damage in the El Bote Forest Reserve—the last buffer zone before Bosawas.
Shade grown coffee replaces plantation farming while preserving income from cash crops.The Solution:
An inclusive agro-forestry training program offers an alternative to “slash and burn” agriculture that is destroying whole forests for land that is rapidly exhausted. Without another option, subsistence farmers and landless campesinos will continue to exploit and destroy forest ecosystems. ATDER, with Green Empowerment’s help, offers an alternative.
Agro-forestry farming techniques improve yields from the same acreage and diversify crop selection to replenish the soil and boost nutrition. Your investment in our capacity to reforest the El Bote Forest Reserve, initiate income generating agro-forestry projects, and install household solar systems will enable us to effectively prepare the farming community of El Bote to sustainably manage their Reserve and protect the BOSAWAS Biological Reserve for generations to come.
