As described more fully on our job posting on Monster.com (click here to view), Reforest the Tropics is currently seeking a Volunteer Assistant Director. An excerpt from the job description is provided below. Interested candidates should contact the Director of Reforest the Tropics, Dr. Herster Barres, at hbarres@aol.com for additional information and to apply for the position.
Reforest The Tropics is a Mystic, CT-based, volunteer-managed, non-profit organization developing a model for offsetting US CO2 greenhouse gas emissions through tropical farm reforestation projects. This program was approved in 1995 by the US and Costa Rican governments, and is sanctioned by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Our funding comes exclusively from emitter donations.
In this applied research program US emitters sponsor reforestation projects to help us learn how to efficiently offset US CO2 emissions in the tropics. Fifty-nine US emitters have sponsored over 280 acres of new forests in 29 projects in Costa Rica. Among these are forests for the Superior Nut Co., the Mohegan Indian Casino, Connecticut College, CT Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative, Pfizer Foundation & The Groton, CT School System, other businesses, social clubs and individuals.
Work on this program began back in the ’60s under the auspices of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) by the present RTT director, Dr. Herster Barres. Our mixed-species forests are specially and uniquely designed to achieve two major goals, (1) efficient, low-cost, long-term and verifiable carbon sequestration in sustainable forests for US sponsors, and (2) to generate an income flow for participating farmers from sales of the periodic thinnings necessary to keep the forests, sustainable, healthy and fast-growing. Forests also produce habitat and food for wildlife and clean water for downstream towns. Some of our research forests are 40 years old. Our oldest formal carbon-offset forests are 9 years old; they are very promising.
In the US, we work with emitter CO2 emission baseline inventories, fund raising, sponsor relations, teaching and model development. With our forester in Costa Rica, we work in the fields of tropical silviculture, forest establishment and management, research, thinnings, GPS mapping, long-term 25-year contracts and farmer relations. We also have cooperative research agreements with local Costa Rican R&D institutions (CATIE & UNA) to develop certain technical areas or information related to our goals.
There are millions of acres of pastures in the tropics available for reforestation, carbon sequestration and profitable wood production if the projects appropriately benefit US emitters with efficient sequestration and provide participating farmers with income from sustainable forests. Showing that this can be done is our goal.
We seek to expand the use of the RTT Advanced Model of carbon-offset forests through the use of more demonstration projects involving different sectors of US society. Examples of potential pilot projects yet to be organized are: offsetting the carbon emissions of 100 combination trucks or fleet of school buses, of a restaurant, establishing carbon-offset forests for new-borne babies or as a wedding gift, working with municipalities, and offering a carbon-offset forest as an option for new car buyers. Each of our projects illustrates the use of specialized forests in the tropics in managing a specific source of US CO2 emissions.
Help us continue the development of this model with your talents, energy, enthusiasm and experience. Training is available and essential. Under the direction of the Director, your volunteer duties will include participation in all of the above mentioned activities and eventually in the overall management of the program. Spanish language and experience in fund-raising, forestry and Latin America will be considered positive contributions. Contact: hbarres@aol and visit our web site: reforestthetropics.org.
