Earth Sangha Inc

CONSERVATION, ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION, AND HELPING PEOPLE DEVELOP HEALTHIER CONNECTIONS TO THE LANDS AND WATERS AROUND THEM.

DC-AREA WILD PLANT NURSERY: PROPAGATION FROM THE WILD OF ABOUT 320 PLANT SPECIES NATIVE TO THE GREATER WASHINGTON, DC, REGION FOR USE IN LOCAL ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION PROJECTS. ALL STOCK IS LOCAL ECOTYPE (PROPAGATED DIRECTLY FROM LOCAL WILD NATIVE-PLANT POPULATIONS). SOME OF THESE SPECIES ARE RARE, EITHER LOCALLY OR ON THE STATE LEVEL; WE ARE PROPAGATING THEM AT THE REQUEST OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, FOR USE ON THEIR RESTORATION SITES. OUR PLANTS ARE ALSO USED IN OUR OWN PROJECTS AND IN THOSE OF OTHER NONPROFITS, "FRIENDS OF" GROUPS, INDIVIDUAL RESTORATIONISTS, AS WELL AS GOVERNMENT AGENCIES MANAGING LOCAL PARKLAND AND SCHOOLYARDS. DURING 2022, ABOUT 56,014 NATIVE TREES, SHRUBS, AND HERBACEOUS PLANTS WERE DISTRIBUTED FROM THE NURSERY TO LOCAL FORESTS, MEADOWS, AND MAINTAINED LANDSCAPES.

TREE BANK HISPANIOLA: OPERATION OF A COMMUNITY TREE NURSERY AND ASSOCIATED FOREST-CONSERVATION AND TREE-PLANTING PROGRAMS ON THE DOMINICAN SIDE OF A PORTION OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - HAITI BORDER, TO SLOW DEFORESTATION AND HELP SMALL-HOLDER FARMERS INCREASE THEIR INCOMES. DURING 2022, ABOUT 65 FARMS PARTICIPATED. PROGRAM ACTIVITIES WERE SOMEWHAT CONSTRAINED BECAUSE OF UNUSUALLY HEAVY RAINS AND A LOCAL LABOR SHORTAGE BUT WE STILL MANAGED TO PRODUCE AND PLANT ABOUT 17,860 ORCHARD, TIMBER, AND LOCAL-ECOTYPE NATIVE TREE SEEDLINGS; EIGHT NATIVE SPECIES WERE REPRESENTED, ALL OF THEM PROBABLY IN DECLINE IN THE WILD. OUR FOREST CREDIT PROGRAM, IN WHICH OUR LOCAL INDEPENDENT PARTNER ORGANIZATION (THE ASOCIACION DE PRODUCTORES DE BOSQUE, LOS CEREZOS) EXTENDS LOW-COST CREDIT TO SMALL-HOLDER FARMERS IN EXCHANGE FOR PLEDGES TO CONSERVE FOREST - THAT CREDIT PROGRAM LENT ABOUT $35,150 TO 55 FARMS, IN EXCHANGE FOR PLEDGES COVERING ABOUT 358 ACRES OF FOREST. (THE PLEDGES ARE HELD BY OUR DOMINICAN PARTNER ORGANIZATION.) OUR 44.3-ACRE NATURE RESERVE, THE REGION'S ONLY COMMUNITY-OWNED NATURE RESERVE, IS PROTECTING THE HEADWATERS OF A VILLAGE WATER SUPPLY. OUR RISING FORESTS COFFEE PROGRAM IS REHABILITATING THE REGION'S SHADE-GROWN COFFEE, IN THE WAKE OF THE COFFEE LEAF-RUST EPIDEMIC OF 2014-15; THE EPIDEMIC KILLED VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE REGION'S COFFEE TREES. RISING FORESTS IS PRODUCING RUST-RESISTANT COFFEE TREES FOR PLANTING ON LOCAL FARMS, AS WELL AS COCOA TREES. BOTH COFFEE AND COCOA ARE HIGH-VALUE CROPS THAT GROW BEST UNDER FOREST CANOPY, SO OUR PROGRAM IS CREATING A POWERFUL ECONOMIC INCENTIVE TO CONSERVE FOREST, AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO RESTORE ADDITIONAL PATCHES OF FOREST FOR UNDERPLANTING WITH COFFEE AND COCOA.

DC-AREA FOREST AND MEADOW RESTORATION: ON-GOING WORK AT THE 20-ACRE MARIE BUTLER LEVEN PRESERVE IN FAIRFAX COUNTY, VIRGINIA. DURING 2022, WE DONATED AND INSTALLED 466 NATIVE HERBACEOUS AND WOODY PLANTS. WE HOSTED A COMBINATION OF SMALL, REGULAR FIELD EVENTS FOR OUR OWN VOLUNTEERS, AND LARGE ONE-OFF EVENTS WITH STUDENT GROUPS AND EAGLE SCOUTS. ALL TOLD, WE ESTIMATE THAT 219 VOLUNTEERS INVESTED SOME 857 HOURS IN MARIE BUTLER LEVEN DURING 2022. SOME OF THIS LABOR WAS DEVOTED TO THE PLANTING EFFORTS JUST MENTIONED, BUT MOST OF IT WAS DEVOTED TO THE CONTROL OF INVASIVE ALIEN VEGETATION, WHICH IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AT THIS PARK AND MANY OTHERS IN OUR REGION.WE HOSTED SIMILAR PROJECTS AT FOUR OTHER FAIRFAX COUNTY PARKS. AT RUTHERFORD PARK, WE PLANTED ABOUT 280 HERBACEOUS AND WOODY PLANTS AND CUT AWAY INVASIVES OVER ABOUT HALF AN ACRE OF THE PARK'S RIPARIAN ZONE. WE ALSO WORKED WITH OUR FAIRFAX COUNTY COLLEAGUES TO IDENTIFY AREAS IN THE PARK THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM A LARGER RIPARIAN RESTORTION PROJECT THAT SHOULD BEGIN OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.AT ELK LICK PARK, WE CONTINUED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH FAIRFAX COUNTY BOTANISTS TO PROPAGATE AND RESTORE SEVERAL COUNTY-RARE MEADOW SPECIES, AS WELL AS VARIOUS COMMON MEADOW SPECIES. ALL TOLD, WE INSTALLED SOME 650 HERBACEOUS PLANTS HERE.AT POPLAR FORD PARK, WE WORKED WITH FAIRFAX COUNTY BOTANISTS TO DEVELOP A PROJECT SIMILAR TO THAT OF ELK LICK. OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, WE PUT IN ABOUT 2,290 MEADOW PLANTS AT POPLAR FORD, SOME RARE AND SOME COMMON.AT LAUREL HILL CENTRAL GREEN, WE CONTINUED OUR TREE-PLANTING EFFORTS BY INSTALLING ANOTHER 270 HICKORIES, AS WELL AS A NATIVE BUT LOCALLY UNCOMMON SPECIES, THE BUTTERNUT (JUGLANS CINEREA), AND A MIX OF SHRUBS AND A FEW GRAMINOIDS. WE ALSO WORKED TO SUPPRESS THE INVASIVE ALIEN VINES THAT HAD BEGUN TO COVER OUR METAL (AND THEREFORE EXPENSIVE) DEER PROTECTION FENCING.