We are helping residents in the parched city of Ica, southern Peru, to replant thousands of resilient huarango trees, and prevent desertification. We’re working with local agencies on a horticulture programme for village schools, as well as botanical and biodiversity projects.

Ica, in southern Peru, sits in the heart of the driest inhabited region on earth. Huarango forest used to be common in the desert surrounding the city, capturing valuable seasonal floodwaters and helping the desert bloom. Now, 98% of the forest is gone, illegally cut down and turned to charcoal for use in the city following the introduction of the chainsaw. This has led to encroaching desertification, as the resilient huarangos are no longer there to hold back the dunes.

Trees for Cities is working with local agencies on education and planting schemes to reverse this environmental catastrophe. In partnership with Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, we’re supporting the Ica-based Association for Children and the Environment to reintroduce the now-protected huarango, and demonstrate to local people that huarangos are more valuable alive than dead.

We support the Tierra de Niños education project encouraging village schoolchildren to plant their own gardens and help their families understand the importance of trees.

Through an annual Huarango Festival, and the marketing of the many huarango fruit products, we are demonstrating the true value of this remarkable tree. We’re also planting new huarangos in schools and in plazas, discouraging the introduction of other more demanding species. And students at the San Juan de Bautista University have planted more than 2,000 huarangos on dunes around the city.

We are working with the Fundo Don Ernesto to create a biodiversity corridor for birds and plant life in amongst large-scale agricultural farming. And we support a botanical project researching local plant species.

This year we will focus on an ancient crops and livelihoods project that will conserve and restore crop resources, ensuring that the needs of local people are prioritised. We will hold planting events and workshops on wild native medicinal plants for villages and local communities, and teach local people about huarango pod harvesting.

In all, we have planted over 30,000 trees in the region – most of which are huarangos.

Trees for Cities relies on donations from individuals to  deliver our projects. Please consider supporting our project  work by making a donation or buying a community gift.

Our projects in Latin America are supported by American Forests and the Arbor Day Foundation.

If you’d like to know more about the projects, please contact Millie Brown at millie@treesforcities.org or call 020 7820 4427.