Trees planted by our planting partner AIR in Guatemala help to mitigate some damages of Hurricane Agatha

Last month Central America was hit by Hurricane Agatha. The worst-hit country was Guatemala - the BBC reported, nearly 112,000 people have been evacuated from their homes across Guatemala and AP updated earlier this month that officials in Guatemala reported 152 dead (out of 179 in Central America).

One of our planting partners, AIR, is working in Guatemala and we got in touch with Dr. Anne Hallum, the Director of AIR, who is in Guatemala with a team of volunteers to plant trees as this is the planting season.

Dr. Hallum updated us that they have been driving around visiting villages where AIR works and saw the damages from the floods. Thankfully, they have also seen the miracles of the pine trees which AIR had planted, which acted like brakes on the mudslides. Still, though, tragedy struck one of the families with which AIR has worked for years when a mudslide destroyed a house and four members died, while one is hospitalized.

Dr. Hallum also reported that AIR's Board members have responded beautifully with donations for this emergency, and they're delivering another truckload of supplies next week.

AIR is doing such an important work in Guatemala and we're very grateful for that and proud to be their partners! We're also very proud to hear that the trees they plant with our support have such a significant impact on people's life. Dr. Hallum added that 'we just wish we could plant in the whole country!'. Well, we hope that it will happen sooner the later and we definitely hope that our work at Eco-Libris will contribute significantly to this effort!

Dr. Hallum sent us few photos from Guatemala I would like to share with you:

These are pictures of what is left of a bridge & fishing town along the Rio Monogua, in southern Chimaltenango.



Photo of a young pine forest planted by AIRES that stopped a mudslide from across the road




Little boy helping to clean up outside of De Vega Santa Apolonia, Department of Chimaltenango, two days after Hurricane Agatha on Saturday, May 29th.


AIR truck loaded with supplies we delivered to the Emergency center of the City of de Vega Santa Apolonia, three days after Hurricane

Mountains around Simajhuleu, Department of Chimaltenango, where AIR planted trees 8 years ago, which are growing strong.

To learn more about AIR please visit their website - www2.stetson.edu/air

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!