A long-term goal of mine is to either start a reforestation or similar kind of effort in a (temperate-zone) foreign country, or start a new chapter of an existing charity that does such things. However, I don't have the foggiest idea on how to start. I can't travel to this particular country, nor do I have any contacts in that country that might help.

Has anybody had any experience in doing something like this, and if so, can they give me any tips?

- Maha Vailo

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When you get down to it, Science answers how. Religion answers why. - hippietrekx

I suppose you've looked into whether this country already has such charities or not?
Perhaps you can contact their consulate/embassy.

Those are two good places to start. If you can't go there, and have no contacts, then it is absolutely impossible. What country is it? Then we might be able to make some positive suggestions.

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As above, so below

There is a project in which you can buy out spots of rainforest in Costa Rica and add them to a growing wildlife preserve. I forgot what it was called though.

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[Foot mouth in put]
Si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses.

good idea.

MV is in search of a project in a temperate region, although I would think that helping reforestation projects in tropical/equatorial areas would be more useful.

We have reforestation projects in the subtropical Atlantic Rainforest down here. Help would be appreciated.

The main NGO related to the issue is the SOS Mata Atlantica (site is off the air today - Aug, 5 - for maintenance).

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If you're careful enough, nothing bad or good will ever happen to you.

A good friend of mine just came from an around the world charity mission. They stayed longer than scheduled to help out at this orphanage in Nicaragua. The orphanage is located on a tiny island in a lake.

I don't know what the local security issues are but I think the location shoud be rethought.

And to me the local food donations didn't seem adiquate as from the pictures almost all the children were thin and some of the close ups showed even to my layman's eye obviousiosly B deficiency. And if children are B deficient that means they are not getting enough of anything else either. Then after seeing that I noticed they were all squinting when none of the charity workers were which told me A is also on the list of stuff they aren't getting. I'm sure a real doctor could have spotted more.

Totally broke my heart as this isn't so much a place of orphan's as much as a place of unwanted children. The local version of planned parenthood.

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Gimme a minute to read through Jay's latest observations...

Hint, hint,hint.

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Gimme a minute to read through Jay's latest observations...

Remember, I said it was a temperate-zone country (somewhere in southern Russia to be exact). You folks are mentioning tropical countries - there's enough programs down there.

The best thing to do would be to do this as a project with the Global Releaf program ( so I wouldn't have to spend as many resources starting from scratch). The main problem is how to find a contact that might help me.

- Maha Vailo

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When you get down to it, Science answers how. Religion answers why. - hippietrekx

You want to plant trees where the natural environment is made up of prairies and deserts? Are you willing to terraform or something?

OK, I´m aware of temperate rainforest conservation projects in Valdivia, Chile [around 40 S - is it temperate enough?]

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If you're careful enough, nothing bad or good will ever happen to you.