At Park Ivoloina, we got to learn about agroforestry, which is a process that involves planting trees to give shade to farmers and the plants that grow underneath them. It was really cool to see how sustainable a place and its people could be. The trees would be planted so that they could provide shade to plants that grow underneath them. When the plants beneath the trees needed sunlight, the trees would be cut down and used for compost or food for the animals. We also got to plant rice, which is a lot more work than it seems. The rice paddies are just mud and water and we took the rice seedlings and lightly buried them in the mud using a rope as a guide for straight lines.
One tree that was interesting was the makoba tree. It produces a red fruit that looks like an apple and tastes like a mix between a peach and an apple. We got to try a few when we were on our walk and they were sweet and delicious!
Melissa & Julia: Agroforestry in Ivoloina
