After months of discussions with HR 71 classmate John Berlow, a group of classmates interested in his environmental and organic farming work in Vietnam has decided to move forward with supporting the first phase of his Green Vietnam project.
John first proposed Green Vietnam as a class project prior to our 35th Reunion. Since then, using his own resources and with help from an individual sponsor who is a member of HR71, John’s team has bought and leased over 30 acres of land in Tuyen Quang province north of Hanoi and has planted them with fruit orchards, endangered hardwood trees, other indigenous fruit-bearing forest seedlings, and locally-important crops (soybeans, corn, rice, etc.). They have leased and begun developing a 10-acre plot together with the lake it surrounds. Their aim is to plant the lakeshore and hillsides surrounding the lake with swathes of fruit orchards, fruit-producing analog forests (indigenous trees mimicking the structure and function of natural forests), timber plantation and restored forest. These swathes will be designed to increase biodiversity and to encourage higher income-producing activity on the part of local farmers.
The Lake Project is Phase 1 of the larger Green Vietnam project that John proposed as a class project. Green Vietnam Phase 1 has already begun with the 5-year rental of a one-and-a half acre spring-fed lake which provides most of the agricultural water in Binh Xa Commune. The goal of Phase 1 is to plant the hillsides surrounding the lake with 10,000 trees and then to move on to the larger valley and hillsides beyond, planting 100,000 trees. Working with extension agricultural services, the timber authority, forest protection organizations and NGOs, Green Vietnam will re-invest income from this activity into extending the project until the larger goal of Green Vietnam, three million trees, is achieved.
A “mini-project” costing approximately $10-15,000 will set up some of the infrastructure for replanting the hillsides in the valley, replant the lake shore and a piece of land attached, and build a small structure for workers to rest in and to guard the area from tree poachers. It is this mini-project that we are hoping to sponsor over the next several months with the help of 20-30 classmates willing to donate $500 each.
In addition, John has invited a group (or groups) of up to 15 people at a time to visit the site and Binh Xa Commune, tour the surrounding area as well as other parts of Vietnam, and if they so desire volunteer for hands-on helping in the actual planting, infrastructure construction and other activities underway. He has offered to host the first visit in early 2009 (January-February).
We are excited with what John has been able to accomplish so far and with his plans for the future. We believe that by helping him succeed with Phase 1 he can gain momentum and actually begin to realize the dream of planting 3,000,000 trees to commemorate the lives that were lost in the Vietnam War. There are lots of issues that will need to be addressed before such a massive undertaking and before asking our entire class as well as others to support it. Visiting his farm/orchard and learning more about Green Vietnam could also be an exciting experience and adventure.
What we are asking you now is this: would you be willing to make a tax-deductible donation of $500 to launch Green Vietnam Phase 1? All we need is 30 classmates to reach the $15,000 initial goal. Donations will be sent by way of the non-profit Buddhist Peace Fellowship which has agreed to act as the fiscal sponsor for funding Green Vietnam. In order to help out, and avoid a flood of individual donations to the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Paul Harris has agreed to collect all checks, record the donor names and amounts, take responsibility for IRS-required ‘tax letters’ and forward the checks in one package to the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. (Paul’s address is 111-B Centre St., Brookline, MA 02446.) Banks have become strict about accepting deposits, so please be certain that your check is made out to “Buddhist Peace Fellowship,” with “Green Vietnam” in the memo line.
Secondly, we are gauging interest in a trip to Tuyen Quang Province. We don’t know the cost yet, but want to know who is interested first before any plans are made.
Please let us know if you are interested in supporting Green Vietnam Phase 1 and/or a trip to Vietnam/Tuyen Quang. If you have any questions, please let us know and we will do our best to answer them.
Thanks for your interest in Green Vietnam! We look forward hopefully to your support.
Green Vietnam Core Group
Charlie Bering su.am.etats.arwm|gnireB.selrahC#su.am.etats.arwm|gnireB.selrahC
Christy Day moc.loa|ytsirhcyaD#moc.loa|ytsirhcyaD
Nate Goldshlag moc.xobop|getan#moc.xobop|getan
Paul Harris ten.nozirev|9491sirrahluap#ten.nozirev|9491sirrahluap
Chuck McCormack ten.tsacmoc|mrnoisiced#ten.tsacmoc|mrnoisiced
Scott Moody ude.oiho|ydoom#ude.oiho|ydoom
Peter Patch moc.cgst|hctap.retep#moc.cgst|hctap.retep
Henry Sommer moc.sxaten|remmosh#moc.sxaten|remmosh
Meryl Stowbridge ude.bmu|egdirbwots.lyrem#ude.bmu|egdirbwots.lyrem
September 24, 2008
