Upvote for free and help plant some trees in Peru. Yesterday I officially broke the Steemit sandwich contest challenge #1. I prepared nine sandwiches in a week! It wasn't easy as I thought it would be. 

  

Having won some extra steem/sbd, I was thinking on how I could give something back. It got me thinking to how everyone could give back and it wouldn't cost them any money. Would this be possible with Steemit? Upvote a specific post and the proceeds will be used to purchase tree saplings for replanting.   

 If you don't try you don't find out.   

 Ok, a little more background. I currently live in Lobitos in northern Peru. I have been here on and off for years. I used it as a base to go abroad to work on tourism and protected areas projects. I have worked in park implementation, planning and funding proposals.   

 (Image courtesy of google)

As you can see from the satellite image, Lobitos is quite arid but there are some endemic plants growing. Chatting with the village elders, the area used to be a lot more forested and green.   

Decades of population growth, leading to the need for fuel wood has led to the rapid destruction of local forest systems. One of the biggest culprits are the roast chicken restaurants using local wood.   

Unfortunately no one left a note to say that you need to plant 2-3 trees for one you cut down. You know... making a practice sustainable! Especially if it is the very thing that will cook your food and feed your family.   

I could go on and on into the reasoning, perceptions, threats and challenges of this unsustainable practice. I won't in this blog as I just want to get the ball rolling and gauge how this post works. 

So I won some steem/sbd yesterday via the SSC that is hosted by @jaybird . I decided I will give some back to local and global community. It is only one tree today (a larger batch has been ordered for replanting), but I want to start offsetting my foot print on the steemit platform and with your help: you can too.  

 

 I got this Algarrobo tree sapling from a local nursery run by a local ngo called ecoswell. Part of their mission is to reforest the local area with endemic and suited plants. Plants that survive this harsh environment.  

Algarrobo not only grows here but has a lot of added benefits: fuel wood, wildlife habitat, forage, wood, food, jewellery etc.  More info here.  

Change starts at home, so I located the perfect spot for the first tree planting. Just outside where I live. This type of tree can grow up to between 8 and 20 meters tall....it might just take a few years.    

 Dug a small hole full of rocks, but this type of tree loves this terrain.   

 In she goes. 

 This first tree sapling is dedicated to the steemit sandwich contest, @jaybird and all of Steemit.   

If you would like to read my posts, then find me here @intrepidsurfer