New land ENP has been bought Apr 2009
To everyone who contributed to the purchase of the new piece of land: thank you so much for your support! We have collected a total of 8,150 Euros to buy the land. Beside this money, we were also able to invest 4,500 Euros in the planting of trees, and everything that comes with it.
The Elephant Nature Park was able to buy the land, and we have immediately started preparations. A large part is still covered with cabbage plantations. The contracts with the farmers end in April, then we can start reforestation. To be able to gage how the ground has been polluted by the plantations we have taken ground samples, and send them to the laboratories of the university of Chiang Mai. The results show that the pH-level of the land is 5.53, which is too low. The university is advising us how to raise this level by the use of lime. The composition of the ground is good, but the land has been over-fertilized. During planting we will have to be very careful and give just enough biological fertilizer. The analysis of the amount of pesticides in the ground will be available early April.
Toilets have been built and a 15 foot ‘fire break’ has been installed all around the area. During the dry season there are many forest fires, so we need to protect our land.
Next week we will start the build of the tree nursery and training the nursery volunteers. After this, a volunteer cabin will be build, so we can start, together with the volunteers, creating a natural environment and food sources in a future elephant paradise.
For the volunteers we will create special programme, with activities like planting trees, collecting seeds, nursery jobs, taking care of the planted trees, and education on reforestation.
In 2009 we want to plant 20,000 trees in an area of about 40 rai. Only a small part of the entire area, but this has to be done step by step. We need to do things correctly from the start to create a programme with which we can go on in the coming years. As soon as the nursery is ready, we will start growing our own seedlings. In our current nursery we have about 4,000 seedlings which are strong to be planted. From the Thai government we will receive at least 10,000 seedlings; the special trees and palm trees we still need, we will buy. We can still use your support in all of this.
For 10 Euros we will plant another 10 trees. So this area, today still filled with plantations, will be a true jungle again in a few years!
Right now we can get started, and things are looking great. Still we can really use more donations. Will you help us again? Please transfer your donation to our account number: 1675200, name of holder Bring the Elephant Home in Vlaardingen, the Netherlands. IBAN: NL28 PSTB 0001 675200
BIC: PSTBNL21
Or donate online for Trees for Elephants.
Thanks a lot!
Antoinette
Firebreak around the land.
Toilets finished.
After the harvest we can start planting trees here.
First group of volunteers on the new land.
