JUST ONE TREE PROJECT UPDATE
Our Just One Tree Project grows saplings from our mature Almendro Trees which, with the help of our community partners, we transplant to bio-sensitive regions of Bocas del Toro, Panama where they are protected. To date we’ve supplied over 12,000 saplings for planting. Our goal for this year is to plant a total of 15,000.
Almendro Trees are a Keystone Species - many species depend on them - including 16 mammal species, 19 bee species, and over 100 species of birds as well as the highly endangered Great Green Macaw which nests exclusively in the Almendro Tree. Almendros are becoming extinct. Their extremely hard, termite resistant wood is highly prized for use in construction.
Each sapling needs over 7 years to grow to a mature tree.
Almendro Sponsorships are offered at $20 per tree. Each sapling is tended in our nursery for over a year by skilled gardeners at Green Acres Chocolate Farm and Botanical Garden - their labor averages to $12 per tree from sprout to planting in their final spot. Each sapling is protected in a pot and bag for transportation which are $3 each. To deliver each tree we budget $2, and $3 from each donation goes to defray administration costs.