When I moved from Bellingham to Chiapas, I was going from one forested area to another. I would have it no other way. The trees are my favorite part of nature, and the times I feel most connected with God are when I’m walking through the woods. They are also, I would argue, the most important key toward healing our climate, for five major reasons:
It rallies people across political ideologies. Even the most hardcore climate change deniers see the benefits of planting more trees. Discussions of where to cut CO2 emissions get very heated very fast, but no one will be angry that you’re planting trees.
It’s the easier part of the solution. The focus of climate change activists is so often on reducing our impact, but that’s only half of what we should consider. Trees actively make use of our CO2 and produce more oxygen for us, effectively cleaning the air. Not everyone is willing, or even able, to make significant changes to their lives to help, but just about anyone can plant a tree.
More than just being about the quality of the air, trees also provide home for countless species, many of which are endangered. By planting a tree, you’re building a home.
Cultivating life is what we were created for in the Garden of Eden. Even if you don’t believe in that account, if you’ve ever taken care of a life, you know that it changes something in you. You get a little more in touch with who you’re meant to be.
Many trees produce good food! (Yes, this is a major reason.)
To be fair, cultivating life can be as difficult as it sounds. Our first attempt at planting trees at Camp Amos, shortly after I arrived here, was met with leaf cutter ants. But now that we have more of an idea of what we’re doing, our second attempt is going much better. Check it out with the pictures below!
What we’re growing
A mix of various fruit trees, including limes, oranges, and avocados!
Flower bushes
A little grass starter for Pablito to learn to care for a plant.
Our methods
We’re dealing with a bit of an ant infestation right now. We’ve used poison, but the problem is, there are so many ant holes surrounding the building that we don’t currently have a way to get rid of them. So we’re taking a bit of our compostable trash and setting it out away from the trees so the ants go for those instead. We have some work to do to come to a more permanent solution.
Some of the trees also have fungal infections, but they are getting better with a soapy water mix. We found a way to use water directly from the washing machine to water them, which is saving a lot of water!
Our hopes
While we now rely on lots of support from people like you (which we are extremely grateful for) we would like to become a little more self-sufficient. As we develop our property more and more, we hope to grow enough food to set up a market on the street. We already have space for a garden, as well as a chicken coop, so we’re well on our way! But we certainly have a lot of work to do.
How you can help
Plant a tree! Upload a picture or video and make it a viral trend!
Donate to our mission at campamos.org!
Share this and other Earth Day posts to spread the message!
I hope this decade sees more trees than the last!