CAM’s Grow-A-Tree program is a reforestation program that offers hope, one tree at a time to the people of Haiti. Lush forests once covered 60 percent of Haiti. But trees promised a quick cash crop of charcoal, and many are chopped down and burned over the years. Vibrant green hillsides slowly faded to a dusty, barren land.
Trees support the environment in numerous ways, and their loss is felt in Haiti. Soil erosion is a significant problem, with thousands of acres of topsoil washing away each year. Haitian farmers labor to raise crops in fields stripped of precious nutrients.
The goal of the Grow-A-Tree program is to help revive this land, one tree at a time. Various kinds of saplings are cultivated at our nursery in Haiti. Once ready to transplant, they are given to impoverished people, along with teaching on how to grow them. For weary farmers who yearn for a bountiful harvest and for families struggling against hunger, flourishing trees represent hope.