Raise a Tree, Raise a Child.
Dominica is known as the Nature Island of the Caribbean. That makes it a very attractive destination, and the island is now living a great period of transition. The tourist industry is growing each year, and contributes a great deal in the development of the country. But that fast development does not only have positive points: Sometime it doesn’t fit with the basic environmental requirement, and does not benefit everyone.
Since the beginning of the 3 Rivers adventure, the preservation of nature and the involvement of the local community have been paramount. We believe in the strength of micro-project to make an efficient and durable work, involving foreigners willing to help, and the local community.
The aim of the Indigenous Tree Preservation Program is to contribute in making the Dominican development more sustainable for the ecosystem and the local community.
Principles of the program:
The program is based on the direct relation between foreigners willing to help and the local community. Donors are informed of the use of each dollar given, and can, at any moment, see the result of their participation.
Participants give EC$ 200 / US$ 80 .That money will be used as followed:
EC$ 120 will be spent on buying a young tree, planting and taking care of it, to make sure it grows. We will put a little plaque on the base of the tree with your name on it, and we will give you a certificate. We will also educate and involve the children of our local school in the program, by giving them a chance to plant and take care of some of the trees.
EC$ 50 will be donated to the Grand Fond pre school scholarship fund
EC$ 30 will cover the government tax.
The tree planting:
Every year in Dominica, a lot of trees are cut to respond to the great demand of wood for the new construction, and also the need for cleared land. Our forest is so huge that people seem to think that it is an endless resource. But if we don’t pay attention, the deforestation could reach an important level, and have a negative impact on the ecosystem.
By participating in that program, you will sponsor a tree, and make sure that our staff will take care of it so it grows. The different trees proposed were chosen because they are getting rarer each year or because they are very fragile and need good care to grow.
The scholarship:
Dominica is one of the poorest nations of the Caribbean. People are spending a great part of their income to send their children to school. For some people it is very hard to pay for the books, note books, and basic materials to study.
3 Rivers is already working to provide a scholarship to the kids in need. It is a good beginning, and we are now looking to diversify the incomes for the scholarship fund. That’s the reason why we linked the indigenous tree preservation program with our scholarship fund. The amount of a one year scholarship is EC$500, so every 10 trees sold we can give a scholarship to a child.
Educating the children:
The children are benefiting from the program through the scholarships. But as they are the future of Dominica, we want them to understand the issue of that initiative for their country. The Grand Fond school has an environmental club created through an initiative of the Ministry of Education. They organize some activities and classes on the theme of Nature and Environment. The club will visit us to participate in the planting, and to give care to the trees sponsored by donors. The purpose is to train them so they will be able to, and will wish to, plant trees by themselves.
The certificate:
By participating in that program, you will get a certificate. Through that document, you will be able to get information about the project, to see your tree and to visit the school of Grand Fond if you visit. To help us recognize your tree, we will put a little plaque at it’s base with your name on it. You’ll then be proud to own a tree in Dominica, and overall to participate in our idea of sustainable development of the Nature Island.
The first tree sponsor was Melanie Gard from the U.S., who now owns a Kubawe Tree in Dominica, here at 3 Rivers, and has contributed EC$50 to the Grand Fond pre School Scholarship fund.
Deforestation is a global problem, and here in Dominica it has not really happened yet; our aim is to ensure it never does.
If you would like sponsor a tree, or find out more about the project, please feel free to contact us any time, and we will always be more than happy to help.