Saturday, February 28, 2009

Education Week update

After assessing a coastline most appropriate for this project at the Marshall Islands High School, Phase I and Phase II were identified. See diagram. Note the MIHS garden, which is of paramount concern for this project.


So this past Thursday over 150 students and 30 volunteers planted 20 "large" trees and over 60 bush-type trees. Altogether, they are intended to protect the other plant life growing in the garden from salt spray and wind damage. Some of the trees planted also provide medicinal uses, such as the wop which is good for fish poisoning and armwe for burns and skin abrasions, as well as fishing line and rope making.


Here are members of the sophomore class who planted two wop trees and protected them using woven coconut fronds. The five of the brush-type trees you see in front of them will grow into a thick wind breaker. In the background is one of the school buildings, and just of to the right of it is the location for Phase 2 of this "Planting Resilience to Climate Change" project.