Our nursery beds have been built and are quickly filling up with seedlings! So far, we are propagating Robusta coffee and Albizia lebbeck, as well as the native tree species Intsia bijuga and Canarium madagascariense. I. bijuga (Fabaceae), known as Hinsty and listed as near threatened by the IUCN Red List, is a multipurpose species that helps conserve soil, acts as a windbreak, has medicinal properties, and can be used to produce dye and insect repellent, among other applications.

C. madagascariense (Burseraceae), or Ramy, similarly has multiple uses: its fruits are edible, and its resin is medicinal and can be used as an insecticide, as incense, and as a caulking material. Ramy is an endangered species.

We’ve also included a few pictures of the abundant agricultural production in our first hectare, planted back in May. Tree seedlings in this plot had a remarkable 99% survival rate!