John Malcheski Nursery

January 2013 Update - The John Malcheski Memorial Nursery in the village of Merceron is doing extremely well.  A variety of fruit trees and reforestation tree seeds have been planted.

Tree seeds for reforestation sown:

3838 Oak

360 Cede

350 Mahogany

Fruit tree seeds sown:

470 Orange

1000 Chadeque

60 Corossole

After Linda Wielgus, Jim Fitzpatrick and Fr. Larry Canavera returned from an assessment visit to Haiti, Linda reported on the memorial funds that are being used to construct a new tree nursery.

"In consult ation with the Malcheski family, FOH is in the process of constructing the John Malcheski Memorial Nursery in Merceron. It will aid the economy and help prevent deforrestration.  It will help many of the villagers the opportunity to become self supporting while enriching the natural resources.

Merceron was selected for its fertile soil and water availability.  The land selected is elevated enough to avoid being flooded out during tropical storms. A nursery manager is being hired to oversee daily operations once the nursery is constructed.

When the seedlings are large enough to be transplanted they will be distributed to families throughout the 4 sections of Thomazeau.  The families must agree to keep the seedlings safe from destruction by animals and keep the trees watered.  The trees cannot be cut down for 10 years.

It is our hope that once the fruit from the trees is ready for market landowners will purchase more trees from the nursery.  Operation of the nursery will eventually be turned over to a nursery committee in the village.

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