Day 3...Weeding is JUST as important as Planting

This morning included sleeping in...until 6:45 anyways. After a 7:30 breakfast, our group departed thinking tree planting awaited us. However, to our surprise, we learned we would actually be pulling weeds. At first everyone was very disappointed that we would hardly be helping. However, after all of our work we compared a set of trees covered in weeds to a maintained set. The difference was tremendous. Though the group could see the difference, all of us still felt as if we had helped but very little. The Naturalist working and leading us at the site assured us that weeding around the trees is just as important as planting trees in an alternate location; if the trees can't grow, they cannot be planted.

Here at UGA Costa Rica there is a program known as the Carbon Off-Set Program; it entails the idea that deforestation has occurred in multiple locations around the Monte Verdes area. Because of this, it is a mission to replant trees wherever possible without taking land away from locals. Therefore, when locals agree to it, the program provides the tools needed to plant a few trees on the land. They bring no harm to the locals' land, but they bring life back to nature.

In participating in this activity we were an active part of service learning. Rather than coming in and acting as if we knew the right and only way to fix the problem, we were guided and helped with what was needed. Today's lesson was that sometimes us as Americans can sometimes force our way of life onto people when they do not really feel the need for it. If we can simply ask what is needed and provide the help rather than believe our way is the only way, the appreciation will be so much more.