Phase One: April 19, 2010

The project is underway.  This morning I went into the mountains of the Huascaran National Park to visit one of their tree nurseries.  It was amazing to see so many Polylepis, an endangered species, growing in the tree beds.  Instead of being in small individual bags as I had imagined, they were growing directly into the soft soil of the beds.  We pulled them out of the ground gently and cut off the secondary roots to promote hardier growth.  When I had 200 saplings, they filled just two bags.  Since they took up much less space than anticipated, I arrived in Cashapampa with ease and had stopped worrying if a member of ASAAM would be there to meet me.  I had left a note for the president a few days earlier, but since there was no way of receiving confirmation, I had no idea if anyone would show

That morning when making arrangements to obtain the trees, the National Park asked my coordinator if she could also drive a park-guard to Cashapampa, since she was taking me there anyway with the trees.  That was quite fortuitous, since it was the first time Cashapampa was receiving training from a National Park park-guard, in order to train two locals (ASAAM members) to be in control of the Cashapampa park entrance.  He would be in town for three days training the new guys, and helping them with the park fees, documents, registration book, etc. 

When didn’t arrive in Cashapampa until 4pm, and I figured no one would be around the ASAAM locale nor the park booth entrance.  But since the new park guard had arrived and he had to talk with the president and so did I, we went together.  Lo and behold, who was waiting there at the park booth entrance? None other than the president, the two new park-guard trainees, and my favorite ASAAM member who is always eager to support my project ideas.  I told them I had 200 Polylepis saplings in my house, and the discussion began… Where do we put them?  What if someone steals them?  How many beds to dig?  What dimensions should the beds be?  How many beds are needed for 200 saplings?  How will tourists know they’re for sale?  How will the trees be transported up into the mountains?  Should we build a full-scale tree nursery to produce our own saplings, or simply obtain them from other nurseries as needed?  Good questions, gentlemen, very good questions.  Finally we are heading towards the same page.  All these concerns that have been whirring around my brain for a year, are surfacing in the minds of those who need it.  The president said they’d dig a hole the next day, and I could bring them the trees the following day.  Awesome.  The project may not be as organized or supported as I would have liked, but we’re starting, and for that I am relieved.