Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
another farm from the jungle. Even more concerning are the wealthy land speculators who
illegally clear large tracts of forest, then sell the land and move on.
The traditional dependence on firewood as a means of cooking and heating is another
factor, especially affecting the dry tropical forests that surround densely populated re-
gions.
The pine forests of Nueva Segovia took a huge hit from their natural enemy the pine
bark beetle in late 1999, with an estimated 6000 hectares of forest destroyed by the time it
had finished its rampage. While recent hurricanes, particularly Hurricane Felix in 2007,
have felled large numbers of trees in the Caribbean region and caused erosion and land-
slides in areas that have been deforested.
NICARAGUA'S ECO-WARRIORS
If you see a large bunch of heavily armed men making their way through the canopy while you
are in one of the country's nature reserves don't be alarmed, it's probably just the national army´s
new Batallon Ecológico (Ecological Batallion).
And if you think Nicaragua is not serious about environmental protection, try telling these
guys. Made up of 580 soldiers, the batallion was created in late 2011 to combat deforestation and
the illegal lumber trade, and has an annual budget of 6.2 million dollars. It sounds like a reality
TV show, but these guys take their job very seriously.
And they've already had some success. Only months after their inception, they seized 112,000
cubic meters of illegally felled lumber in the Wawashang reserve on the Atlantic Coast.
But the soldiers don't just carry guns, they also carry shovels so they are able to plant trees in
their downtime. Together with the national forestry institute, they have created a network of 28
tree nurseries that will supply saplings for an ambitious reforestation plan in natural reserves af-
fected by illegal logging.
Agricultural Chemicals
Another pressing issue is the use of agricultural chemicals, which is widespread in Ni-
caragua, although nowhere near the levels in its famously 'green' neighbour Costa Rica.
Any time you travel in rural areas youll see farmers decked out with their pump back-
packs ready to spray herbicides, fungicides, pesticides or fertlizers on their crops. Chemic-
al use is poorly regulated and many of these products end up in the local river systems.
In 2010 there was a major fish kill in Pearl Lagoon that was unlike any that even older
members of the community had seen. Many locals blamed agricultural run-off, either from
