LOS CIELOS PERU: REFORESTATION PROJECT

I have set up this GoFundMe for our dear friends Sylvie Joy Olson Meier and Tyler C Olson Meier to recover and rebuild from a recent devastating fire at their Earth Hospital healing center in Peru. There is an immediate need for $5,000 to replace plants and rebuild areas burned. This project includes the emergency needs plus funding for their long term goals.

Here is the message from Sylvie:

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My name is Sylvie. My husband Tyler and I have been privileged to live on and care take almost 135 acres of Amazon Forest. We have spent the last 7 years managing the forest, planting more species and supporting the natural environment and all of her creatures that live here. We are a safe home for hundreds of species of amphibians, reptiles, birds and many mammals, including monkeys, pumas, boar and deer. Our lives are dedicated to the enormous natural pharmacy provided by the plants in this extremely bio-diverse environment. In September of 2022 a controlled agricultural burn went quickly out of control in high winds and drought conditions. The fire quickly spread across 2 km from the pueblo behind us and burned down nearly 60 acres (with 80 acres affected) of our forest. We have been actively controlling the fire for the last 3 weeks. We have had no rain and temperatures are at an extreme high. We spend a great deal of time clearing and preparing for the possibility of fire. This one was beyond our ability to prevent.

We are currently working on a motor and pump to reach our back creek to extend our reach into the forest with water. As we continue to manage this fire to prevent more loss, this has become a most urgent priority.

We are so grateful for our amazing crew and their constant attention and hard work to protect us all here.

Our reforestation plan will be in phases and the project will take 3 years to implement and a total of 5 years to be fully viable. We will begin with clearing and cleaning the most devastated areas ( about 20 acres) and planting plantains and bananas. These plants create humidity and aid in the restoration of nutrients. We will do this in October. We will need to plant 4000 plantains. We will begin to receive plants here and nursery them as we prepare the soil and clean. Throughout the rest of the rain season we will be strategically cutting affected trees, harvesting them and reforesting in zones. This will go on through April of next year until the dry season begins again. We will be watering and nursing these zones in preparation for the following October in which we will advance with more trees and cacao and medicinals and tree planting in the areas that are recovered where the plantains are.

We will plant over 12,000 trees, 4,000 plantains and 5,000 medicinal plants in this way over the next three seasons. Our best chance of success will come through procuring plants and nursing them here in preparation for planting and over 18 months of continuous labor to support them.

We are also spearheading a counsel to pass vital information during the burning season amongst pueblos and regulations around notification of burning. During this enormous fire, 7 farms lost a lot of crops, trees and livelihood. Los Cielos has provided assistance to all of our neighbors to control these fires and protect their homes.

We are so grateful for this forest and the enormous amount of healing and medicines she shares. Join us as we give back to this precious resource and rebuild our bio-diverse home and continue to support and protect the Amazon, her people, wildlife and most of all the plants. We thank you for your support.