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Trees for the bees

It is now just over a year since Nuevas Esperanzas began a pilot beekeeping project in the community of El Ojochal del Listón.  We have hives in El Ojochal, El Ñajo and Agua Fría and a growing team of local beekeepers.  Another part of our work in the environmentally protected area where these communities are located has been in reforestation.  Large areas of these hillsides have been deforested and last year several thousand trees were planted as a first step towards addressing this problem.  This year, we have decided to combine the two projects and think carefully about the next stage in the reforestation work with the bees in mind.  Certain tree species are known as ‘melliferous’ which means that they attract bees and encourage better honey production as they produce a lot of nectar and pollen.  It is these trees which have been identified for inclusion in three tree nurseries which are being established in El Ojochal del Listón and El Ñajo.

In March, seeds were planted at three different sites.  Some seeds were purchased and others collected locally.  Laurel, strawberry tree and blackwood were the first to be planted in small plastic bags where the seeds could germinate and the seedlings begin to sprout.  The farmers received training from Nuevas Esperanzas agro-ecology expert, Enrique Bolaños, in how to prepare the right mix of sand and soil for the plants.  Trenches were dug, the bags filled and seeds planted.  For the strawberry tree, a finer soil is needed as it takes longer for the seeds to germinate, so the soil was sieved first.  As well as the seeds, some blackwood stakes were planted.  These stakes will take root in the ground and after about a month will start to sprout and grow into trees.  Around fifty stakes have been planted in El Ojochal.

In order to protect the growing seedlings from the sun and roaming chickens, the bags are covered with a frame of posts on which palm fronds can be laid to provide shade.  A small fence was also erected around each area.  As the seeds germinate, if more than one grows in a bag, the extra seedling is transplanted into one of the other bags.  It is really important for the soil to be kept moist so the farmers have been watering the nurseries regularly.  This has been much easier since the rainy season began in May, but for the crucial early months, water was brought from the rainwater harvesting tanks or from a more distant spring to keep the seedlings alive.  After around three or four months, when the seedlings reach 10 cm in height, they can be planted out.

Some of the farmers have established their own extensions to the nurseries where locally collected strawberry tree seeds were planted straight into the soil in raised beds to provide protection from animals.  They have also contributed cuttings from their own fruit trees to the latest phase of the project.  The farmers are keen to include fruit trees in reforestation work as the fruit can provide a source of income and help develop the productive value of the forested area.  Around 600 young fruit trees have just been transported up to the nurseries.  These include mandarin, orange, avocado, nispero (a delicious Nicaraguan fruit), and mango.  At the request of the farmers, some coffee plants are also being included.  Some of these seedlings have been bought from nurseries in León while others have been donated by the local Mayor’s office. 

Enrique designed the plan for planting with a group of farmers, explaining the distance to be left between plants as well as where the different species should be planted in relation to one another.  Larger trees are interplanted with coffee plants to provide shade.  Once the trees have all been planted, Enrique and the farmers will continue monitoring their growth and replanted areas mapped using GPS.  As the melliferous trees develop, it is hoped that more bees will be attracted and that a lot more honey will be produced from the hives.

23/06/11