Take a look at Hazel’s first afforestation project!
Afforestation is a specific way to combat climate change–at its most simple, it’s planting a new forest in a place where trees hadn’t previously grown. This project in Uruguay, however, is so much more than that–and that’s why we’re so excited to add it into the Hazel portfolio!
This project is taking 52,000+ acres of degraded grazing land and turning it into a valuable forest resource for the local community. The land has been used for cattle grazing for generations, and in the past few decades, it has been over-grazed and damaged. Too many cattle have depleted the soils, caused increased erosion, damaged the soil quality and harmed the local watershed.
This project will reverse that damage by creating a lush, productive forest–expanding the local forest ecosystem, repairing the damage caused by grazing and improving local water and soil qualities, all while permanently capturing millions of tonnes of carbon in the process!
The forest will be a mix of pines and hardwoods, managed according to the sustainable forest management best practices as set forth by the Forest Stewardship Council. Critically, this new forest will be an economic asset to the local community–providing new jobs and opportunities in forestry for the people living in the area and giving them an incentive to protect and enhance the new ecosystem.
In total, the project is expected to capture more than 7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, while expanding local biodiversity, creating new economic opportunities and expanding educational opportunities in the local area. Given the size of the project, this project will also serve as a model for other, similar projects in the area–helping demonstrate how enhanced sustainability can be economically advantageous to the community too.
Afforestation, when done in a way that is sustainable and in concert with the economic interests of the local community, can be a significant component in society’s broader fight against climate change. We’re very excited to have the opportunity to work with this project–with your help, we can make it a success!
