Las Mercedes Reforestation Project

The future of Las Mercedes

In order to host more volunteers, here is our new project in order to host more volunteers and educate the community.

NEW WEBSITE

Please check our new website:
http://lasmercedesnica.wordpress.com/goals/

Somoto is a small town just 12 Km away from Las Mercedes, every year around this time (The last weekend of November) they celebrate their Fiestas Patronales. 100's of volunteers from the area will travel and be part of this ones a year celebration, having Tona, one of the best Nicaragua beer as their main sponsor. 2009 as any other year, it was a success.

Two of our 3 horses

Our Friends at the farm need your HELP!

Many animals around the area are injured, are being trapped to be sold to passerbys on the Pan-American Highway, or are being kept by owners who cannot provide the animals with sufficient amount of food or proper living conditions. Below are some of the animals we currently have adopted and are taking care of. However, it is our mission to provide these animals with a safe and healthy environment that will provide them the space they need to roam and procreate as they would in a natural environment. If you have any ideas, suggestions or are willing to come down and help us build proper homes, we appreciate all the help we can get. In the long run, this will serve as an example to the local community that taking care of our animals is an important part of a thriving eco-system that involves us as humans.

We need help with the goats, we have a few of them, but they are very destructive and they have to be tied up, we need help building a corral that will allow them the space that they need to roam free.

We really need help with these geese, they need a small pond or some source of water in order for them to mate. We need volunteers that could help me build the pond. Are you up for the challenge?

This is Rosita, she has been with the family for many years now, growing old she has never been able to fly.

Future Experiment with Housing Building

Thank you Mr. Michael Reynolds (The father of biotecture) for your ideas. I have decided to experiment with Biotecture right here at Las Mercedes. The idea is for volunteers to come and help with the project, and also invite the community to participate and learn from this first Housing Experimental model

Future GOALS for Las Mercedes

Theses are some of the project that I have in mind for the near future and that I reallyy need technical and financial help with:

1- Need technical and professional help with choosing the right native trees according to the soil and the climate of the region.

2- Need structural and financial help with the construction of a Greenhouse for production and better care of baby trees.

3- Need structural, professional, and financial help with the construction and care of the Green Iguana and Rabbit Farm

4- Need help with the construction of an all Organic Vegetable garden in order to feed the volunteers

5- Need technical and financial help with the construction of a Compost Site

6- Need help with the restoration or construction of a Water Well and Irrigation System in order to provide water for the trees

7- And if possible, I need help with exploiting natural resources such as Wind or Solar Power

New extension to the farm house

Finally the two extra rooms and full bath are almost done, furniture and two coats of paint is the last thing needed. Las Mercedes will be able to host at least 6 more volunteers. We will make a differences, one tree at the time.

New baby bull " Brutus"

Brutus was born 30 days ago, he was very strong and ready to lead the pack.

Semana Santa 2009

Here are some of the family members alone with two of our volunteers. Thank you guys and enjoy la Semana Santa 2009 (Holy Week)

The Flowers are blooming at “LAS MERCEDES”

Town of OCOTAL

Ocotal is one of the most beautiful cities in Nicaragua and full of history; from Bucaneers arriving through el RIO COCO sacking and burning down small towns, Agusto Cesar Sandino fighting the US Marines, to being the first town to ever been BOMB by airplanes.

PARK AND CHURCH in Ocotal

NEW FOOD SOURCES

In the next few months, we should be producing the fallowing:

Bananas, Platanos

Gragon Fruit

SELF SUSTAINED

Every year we are starting to produced a new food source, our goal is to one day be completely self sustained and off the GRID. Here are some of the fruits we are producing right now for self consumption.

PAPAYA (Carica papaya)

LIMES (Cituse auretifolea)

ORANGES (Citrus sinensis )

CASHEW (Anacardium occidentale)

GUAVA (Psidium guajava)

GREAPFRUIT (Citrus paradisi Macfad)

Magazine Article

RIGHTHEREMAGAZINE.COM is a tourist oriented magazine in Nicaragua, they were so kind to publish an article about our projects for all tourist, volunteers and the international community to read and be informed about our reforestation project. Magazine Article.

Our location

Las Mercedes is a proximally located 30 miles south from the border with Honduras about 10 miles south from the beautiful town of Ocotal, Nueva Segovia. (I challenge you to Google this town and its history of pirates, and the first town to be bombed by US war planes) Our farm is about 200 meters east of the Panamerican Highway, in the heart of the Savanna Grande community.