by: Lori

Last June, the community group planted lots of flamboyant trees along a 1.5 mile stretch of road.

Today, some of the group started at one end and weeded around the trees a bit.  There was thorn bushes, vines, and other weeds growing around them and hindering their growth.  There is also the potential of damage if someone burns off their field prior to the planting season.

Here is some of the vetiver that we had planted in the fall of 2009.  This plant is used for erosion control by using it in living terraces.  This plant is in rocks (not hardly any good soil), but it is slowly growing.  The dry season has turned some of it brown, but the plant hasn’t died yet.  It can withstand up to 45 days without water!  These were weeded too.

Cutting thorn bushes.

Working near a bench that we built last year.

Pulling away thorn branches cut from near a good tree.

What was hiding under this big thorn bush?

Two great trees!

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There was a place in the road that had been eroded after the rainy season.  We’ve been working on it off & on for 2 months (sorry, don’t have “BEFORE” pictures) and got done today.  We have taken 3 work days to gather rocks, build rock walls within the crevices, and fill them in with rocks.  Here is what it look like at the beginning of the day.

We dug dirt and gravel (left over from the CNE road construction) and transported it for fill.   There were about 4 people collecting rocks too.

It slowly filled up.

Anel was about the only one to push the wheelbarrow full of gravel up the hill.

…and dump it.

Here is our finished product.  We hope it holds!

Jerry thinks the day went very well.