How I got into planting trees with Steem and you can too.
It is Earth Day tomorrow! I hope you are all going to do at least one thing to give back to Earth tomorrow. I will be planting a few more trees. What will you be doing? Will you help plant a tree with your upvote?
(First ever tree planted with Steem here and 43 more since)
I first started out my career working in Protected Areas (National parks) over ten years ago in Yemen. Now that was quite the baptism of fire, but I “swam” and definitely did not sink. Over the following years since, I have done a fair share of working with local environments and I never want to stop.
(Transplanting seedlings for the Steem Forest)
This is why, when I saw the potential of linking up the Steem community with environmental enhancement and protection,it going my brain really going. It is really quite exciting to be a the forefront of such technological innovation and development.
Basically whilst on Steemit, it all really started with a sandwich, yes you heard right! I had earned myself some Steem on @jaybird 's Steemit Sandwich Contest. With Steem in my vitural wallet, I bought it back with my own cash. Then proceeded to donate this cash to a local not for profit and they gave me a native Algarrobo tree. Which I planted and posted about.
Oh my, I wasn't expecting such a reaction from the community when I did. It was so humbling and awesome to see so many being so positive and wanting to help more. This got me thinking.... how could I turn this into a bigger project? How could this be scaled to plant a forest? Our Steem forest.
(Usage with permission. This art work and owner of such, is courtesy of @artwatch and usage requires permission )
As things go in Northern Peru, it goes at a slow pace, but things do get done... eventually. I continued to plant more trees in the village where I am staying. Now 44 trees have been planted with Steem here. All the SBD gained from these posts along with very generous Steem/SBD donations. The pool has grown quite considerable: over 150 Steem and 140 SBD ready to be ploughed back into the Steem forest initiative.
(Researching costs for the Steem Forest water tower and tank)
I have known the team behind the local not for profit for some time now and I knew they had a reforestation program. I could be the channel that raises funds and the not for profit could execute. Implementing a project funded by Steem and complimentary to their goal of local reforestation. A win-win for everyone. Over a couple of weeks of brain storming. A piece of land was identified, local native tree saplings source, community leaders identified, planning docs prepared and a budget was drafted.
(Area of reforestation.)
(Steem forest zone. Image courtesy of Google Earth.)
In short, the aim is to reforest half an hectare with 100 native trees and implement supporting infrastructure: water tank, water tower, hoses, drip feed irrigation systems etc. In all this would cost about 9000 Peruvian soles or around 3000 USD. I would cost it out in Steem/SBD but because prices are so volatile, I deemed it a futile exercise. It was best thought, we aim for a simple number like 1500 Steem and if the fiat value exceeded the 3000 USD, it would be rolled over into expanding the Steem Forest.
(Ready to be planted with your help)
So the upvotes and donations came in, but the price of Steem and SBD dived to below 2 bucks! What a time to be fund raising whilst the value goes down, but hey it is what it is. Luckily for all over us is back over 3 US and wow what a difference that makes to the value of the Steem forest fund. At the time of writing, there is just over 1000 USD that will be dedicated to planting native trees here.
Then another slight issue, being in the sticks of Northern Peru, converting Steem/SBD to liquid fiat to purchase items for the project, has been challenging at best. No Amazon here where I can load up a gift card with Steem and go shopping online with it. Most people I know, don't even know what bitcoin or cryptocurrency is! I think I have found a solution, which I am about to test out this coming week. Honestly it is easier to trade Steem directly for physical silver than trade for cash.
But don't worry I will write and video about it, so as to keep all of you informed on progress.
(“Plant me”)
I love hearing the whole backstory laid out like this.
Not sure if you saw yet, but when I shared one of your posts a while back, @ashe-oro saw it and loved it as much as I do. When we recorded an interview about a week and a half ago, Ashe decided to donate part of that post to your project. Check it out. :)
Oh I had to putting my thinking cap on, as this grows I need to get more organized and adapt the way I present things on Steemit. Great learning curve and I am absorbing so much. I have also initiated the steem forest movement amongst users here. Got a Steem forest giveaway. Pool divided equally by number of weekly participants. This week we had two. It is also a fun way to get new steemit users to participate and benefit from steem. Then they will spread the word of Steem. Now I just need to figure out how to make a google earth over lay to identify the steem forest on the planet.
Oh bru, I have just checked out the post on @libertyepodcast and I am feeling rather blessed with all your support.Thank you. We are making a Steem forest. I resteemed the post too. I will send @ashe-oro a message of thanks.
So happy to see you supporting my friend here. The Intrepid Surfer is awesome! Not sure if you saw on my blog; but we spent three days hanging out, and I did my first Travel Pro Interview post with him. Steemit is the great uniter of the 21st century, and much much more. Steem-on and keep up the great work to you both! From Buenos Aires Argentina! -Dan
I had no idea! Very cool. I love finding cool people on Steemit and then later realizing they are somehow connected.
As you know, Steemit has blown my mind in so many positive ways. Hate to constantly come off like a kiss ass, but I really can't thank you enough for keeping me here. Steemit has really become a valuable intricate part of my life :).....that's from the guy who never had facebook and didn't even really know what a blog was! lol Have a great day! -Dan
Every one from their perspective is experiencing a facet of Steemit and like we discussed... we are in the creative phase and everything is for creating.
Good people find good people and so forth.
Hey bru, how are you? You have made it to the land of wine and amazing steaks! I will never forget when you come round the corner filming your video. At that moment I knew there was no turning back from videos.
Haha, and your videos like mine keep getting better and better. Steem on my tree planting brother!
i love your work! congrast;)
thank you for your support to help grow our Steem forest.
work good ,, keep doing good by planting trees for the safety of future generations 😁👍
thank you @rungkhom , you are part of the Steem forest community too.
That is great work you are working on @intrepidsurfer ! Here in Malaysia our green lungs are also in trouble and many suburbs are trying to initiate more tree planting in the neighborhood!
Keep it up, and we wish you all the best!
Best wishes
Daily Bread food bank
hello @gtpjfoodbank , thank you for your kind words. I have a steem forest giveaway. Where it pays steem to plant trees every week. Check it out if you like.
@intrepidsurfer
Awesome my man. Great to see this progressing so nicely!
Holding out for a good opp to cash out the Steem Fund should come in the next few months. We'll probably see a higher Steem than 3USD!
Keep it up!
Thank you bru! we always appreciate your support to the cause of the Steem forest. I will liquidate in increments to spread out the 'risk', but regardless I am so stoked on how this all working out. All as a community.
You have really done so well @intrepidsurfer and to think it all started with a sandwich making your dream of a steem forest a reality. Sheer determination and hard work always pays off! Thanks for the shout out :)