‘planting out of poverty’ program - trees for the...

PLANTING OUT OF POVERTY2014 Plan of Action

Dear Partners,Thirteen years ago I went to Senegal, as a Peace Corps Volunteer, determined to improve the environment by working with people to plant trees. But the reality of working at the village ‘grassroots’ level meant there was no grass and we ate roots. Through this experience, I discovered that the health and welfare of the land is directly related to the health and welfare of the people. The two cannot be separated.

During my work with Trees for the Future (TREES) I have seen this relationship in action, through our programs which simultaneously combat poverty and restore the environment. This year, in response to the obstacles faced by millions of farmers, we have defined our triple bottom line—people, their profit and our planet (3Ps). To succeed in meeting the objectives of our 3Ps, we are focusing on a scalable tree planting strategy - the forest garden approach – which generates sustainable economic, social and environmental benefits. Farmers like my friend Mariama Ndao, who is halfway through establishing her new forest garden, began to see benefits within the first year.

Mariama’s womens’ group owns four acres that have been degraded by decades of peanut farming and overgrazing. Mariama attended TREES training and created a vision for a forest garden that would improve the lives of all the women in her group. Though some villagers called her crazy as she carried water to her nursery and chased away the goats, we called her a visionary. Now, just two years into establishing her forest garden she is harvesting peas and berries, the thorny living fence is taking form and she anxiously awaits her new cashew trees which will begin fruiting later this year.

Helping Mariama plant a forest garden not only alleviates poverty and hunger within her community but also solves larger global challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, rural-to-urban migration and the effects of natural disasters.

This year, our ambitious action plan responds to the dire state of both the world’s poor and our planet. The 25 million trees we are planting this year will support the establishment of thousands of new forest gardens. These forest gardens will bring economically and environmentally sustainable

livelihoods to over 200,000 men, women and children in the developing world and begin to protect communities from droughts, floods, and landslides that cost governments $125 billion dollars in 2013.

We know our strength lies with you, our supporters. In this plan you will see how and where you are making an impact through the gift of trees. On behalf of Mariama, and the thousands of families we serve, we appreciate your ongoing support. We look forward to seeing you at one of our events in celebration of our 25th anniversary and the planting of 100 million trees.

In peace and friendship,

John with Mariama in her newly planted forest garden. The pigeon peas and jujube trees will provide Mariama’s womens’ group with their first harvest of food and revenue.

John Leary

2 Trees for the Future • 2014 Plan of Action • Planting out of Poverty

Countries Tree Goals Forest Garden Goals

Brazil 400,000 30

Burkina Faso 300,000 10

Burundi 350,000 10

Cameroon 2,800,000 350

Ethiopia 1,500,000 500

Ghana 1,000,000 350

Haiti 1,000,000 200

Honduras 3,100,000 120

India 150,000 20

Kenya 2,900,000 200

Mali 500,000 20

Nicaragua 400,000 40

Philippines 400,000 150

Senegal 900,000 300

Tanzania 2,500,000 200

Uganda 2,300,000 100

2013 seedlings - to be outplanted 4,500,000

TOTAL 25,000,000 2,600

25 MILLION IN OUR 25TH YEAR

This year we will reach a milestone, 100 million trees planted over 25 years

To improve our ability to evaluate impact, we are integrating mobile technology into field monitoring activities. TREES technicians in East Africa will pilot a program that uses the Grameen Foundation’s new Taro Works app to collect and feed project data directly into our Salesforce database.

Trees for the Future • 2014 Plan of Action • Planting out of Poverty 3

STRATEGYOur strategy is to implement an environmentally sound economic development model that enables two billion subsistence farmers to plant themselves out of poverty. Rural poverty is not a singular issue. It stems from environmental degradation and feeds social ills that create a cycle of hardship and dependence. To break this cycle, our programs are designed with three critical elements in mind: people, their profit and our planet - our triple bottom line.

To maximize our impact in helping communities alleviate poverty, affect positive social change, and

improve both local and global environments, we are primarily focusing on:

• Working with farming communities along environmentally-degraded and highly-traveled trade corridors. Along these routes we find large populations of rural farming communities in need of solutions to their failing agricultural systems.

• Implementing our leading solution, the forest garden approach, which takes each farmer’s situation into account and produces most of what a family needs.

PeoplePeople participating in our programs face incredible adversity. Our work aims to lessen their burdens. Where farmers get only one meal a day during lean times, our tree planting design includes consistent, nutritious food that can be harvested throughout the year. In areas where women and girls spend hours collecting fuelwood, we lessen their physical burden and the time required by showing them how to sustainably grow their own firewood. The flexible deign of our approach allows us to tailor planting solutions to the social needs of communities. Through the process of training and empowering farmer groups to identify their needs and implement solutions. They learn that together they can solve problems through cooperative action.

ProfitIn some of the areas we work, poverty is crippling – families are too poor to send their children to school and vulnerable men or women become victims of human trafficking. Our goal is to help families increase agriculture-based income, on a chosen plot of land, by 100% within four years. In most communities, men, women and children spend an entire year toiling on their land for one or two meager harvests. Our goal is to help families and farmer groups plant an array of tree crops that, once established, generate a steady and reliable source of food, marketable products and income.

PlanetFarming causes 80% of the deforestation across Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Our program addresses this problem by training farmers to practice the environmentally sustainable land use techniques required to maintain their forest gardens. Locally, planting trees lessens pressure on forests by enabling families to become self-sufficient in producing what they need from trees. Adding tree cover to the agricultural landscape encourages rain and protects livelihoods from increasing incidents of drought and extreme weather. Globally, the collective impact of planting millions of trees helps support biodiversity, clean the air we breathe, and remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.


Omar Ndao’s forest garden in Kaffrine, Senegal is enclosed with a protective living fence of thorny acacia trees. Omar’s family grows neem and leucaena trees as sustainable sources of natural pesticide and firewood. They intercrop vegetables, bananas and papayas within the mango and citrus trees.

Forest Garden ApproachDeforestation and poverty are inextricably linked in many areas of the developing world. Nearly a third of the world’s population live in poor farming communities, and farming is responsible for 80% of the deforestation across Africa, Latin America, and Asia. However, through the forest garden approach, small farm plots can help to restore natural resources and be a key driver in poverty reduction.

The forest garden, which mimics the diversity of a forest ecosystem, aims to increase and sustain income-generating opportunities and food security while restoring biodiverse tree cover. Forest gardens can be designed to thrive in almost any environment - from the arid lands of West Africa to the humid uplands of the Phillipines. This makes them a viable solution for the millions of farmers throughout the world faced with the challenge of creating a livelihood solely from an inherited piece of degraded farmland.

The forest garden incorporates a variety of tree species and other crops, in a horizontal and vertical design that provides sustainable sources of food, firewood, fodder and marketable products.

The initial step in growing a forest garden is designing a smart plan. During our training workshops farmers identify what they need for their household and what they can sell in local markets. They learn to map their fields and create a vision for tree planting. Where zero tree cover exists, fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing trees are planted first to improve soil quality and provide cover from the harsh sun and wind. Beneath the fast-growing trees farmers learn to layer-in a wide variety of fruit and nut-bearing trees. Timber trees form the tallest layer of the forest garden, providing shade for other crops and sustainable income for the next generation. Among these trees, farmers learn how to intercrop vegetables and integrate livestock, bees and poultry.

The forest garden’s strength is in its diversity and flexibility. Fresh fruits and vegetables improve the nutrition of farming families. Surplus of fruits, firewood, animal forage, berries, oils, medicines, insecticides and other tree products are sold to local markets for profit. By meeting the needs of people and the planet, forest gardens provide a practical, replicable and scalable pathway out of poverty.

Major Characteristics of a Forest Garden

• Avoids the risk of economic dependence on one or very few crops.

• Continually provides food and other products.

• Allows nature to provide organic fertilizers and pest controls.


PROGRAMSWest AfricaFor communities living in the arid Sahel, the effects of conventional farming and over-grazing have degraded the soils on which families depend for subsistence. We are targeting a thousand-kilometer trade corridor that cuts through the countries of Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso. Towns along this east-west corridor serve as mini-trade hubs for large clusters of villages. Our program aims to train communities to establish forest gardens that will create a green barrier to the encroaching Sahara Desert. while at the same time generate livelihoods for people living on less than a dollar per day.

East AfricaThe countries of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Burundi are comprised of hundreds of distinct ethnic groups who practice subsistence and cash crop farming - often raising livestock to generate additional income. Along major regional trade routes there is intense population pressure on natural resources, making this region a high priority for implementing our forest garden approach. We aim to alleviate poverty in the rural and peri-urban farming communities that border these routes. We will initially focus on the northern Tanzania corridor from Dar-es-Salaam to Arusha where communities will plant forest gardens that provide lucrative market opportunities, improve household access to fruit and vegetables, and produce fodder for livestock and bees.

Central AmericaBare mountains across Honduras and Nicaragua have little capacity to trap and store water, leaving them vulnerable to storms and hurricanes. Vital springs on the sides of these mountains dry up each year, plaguing the region with water shortages. Through farmer associations and networks of communities, we are working to return tree cover to the degraded mountainsides of these two countries by adding shade and diversity to coffee and cocoa plantations. We are also training smallholder livestock farmers to apply the forest garden approach in producing animal forage; and training large livestock owners to grow higher-quality forage and protect pastures and waterways from further degradation.

How we do itOur programs work with recruited communities for four years to establish their forest gardens.

Year OneIn the first year we provide:

• technical support and training on forest garden planning, nursery establishment, planting design and maintenance

• materials such as seeds, nursery bags, shovels, watering cans and wheelbarrows

• oversight when seedlings are planted at the onset of the rainy season and farm visits throughout the first dry season to ensure seedlings survive

Years Two and ThreeOur technicians:• tailor training to the needs of communities• help farmers diversify their planting sites with fruit and nut

trees and hardwoods• train farmers on sustainable harvesting methods and more

difficult topics such as pruning, grafting and seed storage

Year FourParticipants learn:• to independently harvest leaves, vegetables, fruits and

timber from the established forest garden• techniques to grow beneficial trees which to add to their

forest gardens without further provision of nursery supplies• vital lessons in marketing and developing group plans to

coordinate the sale of tree products throughout the year


In addition to our three regional programs, we are supporting tree planting in seven other countries. Although the factors leading to deforestation, food insecurity and poverty are similar in each of these countries, the design and scale of the forest gardens differ. Each forest garden is designed to achieve maximum social, health and environmental benefits based on the community’s culture, market needs, land availability and severity of land degradation.

Ghana, India and Cameroon: Our field technicians are working with key educational institutions to define pathways out of poverty for subsistence farmers. In Ghana we are working with the Kumasi Institute of Tropical Agriculture to define forest garden models that increase the productivity of degraded farmlands and cocoa farms, by planting a variety of fruit trees, moringa and nitrogen-fixing trees. In partnership with the Arts, Science, and Commerce College in Lanja, India, we are applying the forest garden approach to relieve stress on forests in a biodiverse hotspot of the Western Ghats. And with local partner ERuDeF, in Cameroon we are collaborating with faculty from Virginia Tech to conduct research projects and develop academic curricula that utilizes forest gardens as a model for responsible land management.

Haiti and the Philippines: We have a rich history of helping hillside communities, throughout the Caribbean and the Asia Pacific region, to implement sustainable agroforestry projects focused on increaseing productivity and minimizing erosion. In these island countries, climate change is manifesting itself in erratic and extreme ways. Rainy seasons are sporadic and dry seasons are more severe. Pests are invading new areas and the increasing frequency and strength of typhoons and hurricanes is raising the annual death toll. Our forest garden approach in Haiti and the Philippines have enabled families to become more resilient to extreme weather events and remain productive on their land - giving them an alternative to the slums of Port-au-Prince and Manilla.

Ethiopia and Brazil: Land degradation from decades of overgrazing has forced communities in Brazil and Ethiopia to find new ways to restore life and fertility to the soil. We are working with local farmers on arid, degraded farmlands to implement the forest garden approach. This invovles planting fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing trees, which improve soil quality and growing conditions, allowing more valuable fruit, fodder and food-producing trees to grow and enhance livelihoods and food security needs of families.

During the rainy season in Ethiopia, this community is outplanting fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing seedlings. These trees are the first step in transforming their land that has been degraded by overgrazing.


STAFFBoard of DirectorsDr. John Moore, Chairman Dr. Peter Falk, Vice Chairman Linda Sobel-Katz, Development Chair Grace Deppner, Co-founder Mark Brown, Strayer University Anne Coffey, Attorney John Leary, Trees for the Future Kelly Lewis, Ruppert Companies Humphrey Mensah, Calvert Foundation John Montgomery, Capital Fiduciary Advisors, LLC Larry Seruma, Nile Capital Shannon Hawkins, FBR Franz Stuppard, Haiti Advisor Bedru Sultan, Agribusiness Africa

Advisory CouncilDr. John Munsell, Virginia Tech Aaron Greco, TreeRing Christopher Kral, Corporate Sustainability Sean Griffin, Geospatial Scientist Caroline Mullen, Iconix Brand Group

Headquarters LeadershipJohn Leary, Executive Director Gabriel Buttram, Director of Programs Josh Bogart, Central America Corrie Mauldin, East Africa Croix Thompson, West Africa Andrew Zacharias, Monitoring Ben Addlestone, Agroforestry Specialist Cathie Bukowski, Program Manager Ben Heiber, Program Associate Adaobi Okafor, Business Manager Rodney Elam, Business Partnerships Hank Dearden, Sr. Dir. of Operations

Key Field LeadershipFernanda Peixoto, Brazil Alexis Nitunga, Burundi Louis Nkembi, Cameroon Neba Kingsly, Cameroon Limbi Blessing, Cameroon Payong Prudence, Cameroon Derese Kochena, Ethiopia Seth Kammer, Ethiopia Terekegn Gileno, Ethiopia

Aylete Kusia, Ethiopiaz Lovans Owusi-Takya, Ghana George Ansah Akomeah, Ghana John Mark Addo, Ghana Timote Georges, Haiti Gerardo Santos Mata, Honduras Jose Hilario Giron, Honduras Vikrant Berde, India Shrinath Kavade, India Paulino Damiano, Kenya Dickson Omandi, Kenya Augustine Njiru, Kenya Mohamed Traore, Mali/Burkina Faso Donal Perez Gutierrez, Nicaragua Danny Zabala, Philippines Omar Ndao, Senegal Karamba Diakhaby, Senegal Bill Flexner, Tanzania Isaya Mangowi, Tanzania Baraka Laizer, Tanzania Christopher Simwinga, Tanzania Victor Sinatus Mponzi, Tanzania Mathius Lukwago, Uganda

This photo of TREES technician, Shu Neba, and the one on the cover of Anaje, were taken by Eco optics, a brand by Modo Eyewear, during their visit to Cameroon.

“The basic technology we introduce is simple, and people start taking hope. And that removes the biggest pressure on the land—the pressure of human desperation.

I don’t know if I’m a technician, a cheerleader

or a butt kicker, but I’m saying we can do it, and

we’ll show you how.”- The late Dave Deppner,

Founder, Trees for the Future


2014 PROJECTED EXPENSES

70%

19%

11%

PROGRAMS $1,460,948

ADMINISTRATION $396,543

FUNDRAISING $229,578

TOTAL $2,087,069

To manage our growing portfolio of programs, we are making smart capital investments in communications, infrastructure and project monitoring systems. To support this continued growth we are developing a number of revenue streams. In celebration of our 25th anniversary, we are holding events throughout the U.S. to stress the importance of planting trees as a solution to some of our greatest global problems.

Programs

Administration

Fundraising


CREATE ROOTS WITH USThrough a give and take relationship, the roots of a tree ensure its growth and strength; without them the tree would die. We like to think of our relationship with you, our supporters, in the same way. TREES depends on your support to help people plant out of poverty, and in return we give you the joy of seeing the transformation you are creating. Through enhanced communications via Facebook, Twitter, monthly

e-newsletters, and other avenues, we keep the stories of success flowing on a daily basis. Our goal is to plant 25 million trees in our 25th anniversary year, resulting in biggest fundraising challenge in the history of our organization. You can help us meet this goal - whether you represent yourself, a foundation or a for-profit company, by creating roots with us in one of the following ways.

FoundationsTrees for the Future was built on the support of generous foundations. Our Cameroon program was born out of a grant from the SeaWorld and Busch Garden Conservation Fund, while the Atkinson Foundation contributes to the success of our Central American program. We have also received support from organizations as varied as the GE Foundation, Earth Day Network, Carbonfund.org, Waldorf School of Baltimore, and many others. In addition to our tree planting goals, we are dedicated to enhancing our monitoring systems, disseminating lessons learned, and improving training techniques. Foundation support is an essential component to building the capacity of our organization and assist the ever-growing need for agroforestry. If you are affiliated with a foundation that would appreciate our work and mission, please contact us.

Give the gift of treesAt 10 cents a tree, your donation is never too small, and you are never too young or too old to make a significant impact. We recently received a check for $107 from a group of sixth graders at Cabin John Middle School in Maryland, who collected money for tree planting as part of their report on global warming. The students received a certificate of thanks showing that their donation will plant over 1000 trees. Through tree planting certificates, individuals helped plant over 3 million trees in 2013. Our tree planting certificates, as birthday gifts, holiday presents or in memory of a loved one, are a beautiful way to honor an important person while providing a living gift for generations.


Corporate PartnersTREES corporate partnerships are designed in collaboration with each respective partner. We are proud to have support from hundreds of corporate partners, who enhance their brand’s image by coupling tree-planting with the sale of their products or services. At an average cost of ten cents per tree, our partners are able to make a significant socially responsible impact at a reasonable cost.

For example, long-time partner Trinity Oaks Winery plants one tree for each bottle of wine sold (www.onebottleonetree.com) - in 2013 they reached the 10 million tree milestone. In recognition of this accomplishment, they garnered well-deserved press coverage from local and national media, including NBC’s The Today Show. Our partner Modo Eyewear, whose photo is highlighted on the cover, plants a tree for each pair of glasses sold from their Eco optics collection. Other Partners include: Amana/Whirlpool, comScore, tentree, Eminance Organic Skin Care, We Wood Watches, Zavida Coffee, Inkkas Shoes and hundreds of other businesses. Each of these companies enjoy the benefits of meaningful market differentiation while addressing environmental and social issues.

Through a shared exchange of information and recognition, we thank and promote our partners via social media, e-newsletters, tree planting certificates, videos, trade shows and other publications. We provide stories directly from the field on how partner donations are positively impacting the lives of communities. We are happy to speak with your company representative about a cause marketing plan that suits your needs and fits your budget.


Mark your calendarEvent Date Location

100 Million Trees Gala April 17 Silver Spring, MD

Earth Day Reception April 24 New York, NY

Green Festival April 26 -27 New York, NY

Partners and Donors Reception May 29 Washington, DC

Green Festival May 31 - June 1 Washington, DC

LA Reception Sept 11 Los Angeles, CA

Green Festival Sept 12 - 14 Los Angeles, CA

Chicago Reception Oct 23 Chicago, IL

Green Festival Oct 24 - 26 Chicago, IL

SF Reception Nov 13 San Francisco, CA

Green Festival Nov 14 - 16 San Francisco, CA

CELEBRATING 25 YEARSIn our Silver Anniversary year, we look forward to celebrating what started as a tiny movement and has grown into a global network of tree-planting success stories. To mark the distance we have come we will be holding receptions and attending events around the country. Please join us!

Trees for the Future 1400 Spring Street, Suite 150 Silver Spring, MD 20910

(301) 565-0630 | 1-800-643-0001

Visit us at: www.trees.org


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