Zoila Álvarez received no cut flowers on Mother’s Day. She was extremely pleased with that.

Mrs. Álvarez, mother and grandmother, enthusiastically works with this project to help protect the Alto Mayo rainforest in Peru. “When this area became a protected rainforest, we feared we would be forced to move out, so no one would work with the conservationists. But that wasn’t true; they just wanted to help us. I told them that they could start by working with me.”

“The people from this project respect us, teaching us how to grow more without hurting the forest. Our farm immediately improved. They also helped us build organic gardens. Now we eat what we grow, and we sell the rest in local markets. And when our friends saw how this project helped us, they were encouraged to join in.”

With your support, nearly 1,000 agreements have been signed to date, and the people in Alto Mayo have become the forest’s most ardent conservators. Over 4,000 hectares of forest have been saved and over 6 million tonnes of carbon emissions avoided.

Mrs. Álvarez was also encouraged by this project to cultivate an orchid garden, which includes some that had become endangered species. “These orchids are magical. My children want to help me in the orchid garden, but I tell them, no thank you, this is my special place.”

Your support for The Blooming Bundle, giving the gift of saving rainforest orchids, made mothers everywhere, including Mrs. Álvarez and Mother Earth, especially happy. Hear their grateful pleasure as they say, “Thank you! Thank you so very much!”