St Vincent and the Grenadines Conservation Fund (SVGCF) awarded Hand2Earth a grant to construct a Vetiver System for farmers in North Leeward to restore farmland, conserve land, and secure food supplies.
Hand 2 Earth has so far:
- Held a community engagement meeting with farmers in the area.
- Restore the historical Vetiver planting site in Chateaubelair.
- Completed a Vetiver Systems Technology Training with farmers which included: the collection of soil samples that were used in a soil testing exercise in Troumaca and the building of an A-Frame for contouring along the terrace.
- Distribution of suppliers to farmers for the construction and maintenance of two Vetiver nurseries.
- Constructed two Vetiver nurseries.
Vetiver Grass is a perennial grass that can withstand a wide range of temperatures ranging from 0 to 50 degrees Celsius. The Vetiver System is a simple, inexpensive, and effective way of preventing soil erosion and promoting soil conservation by planting the Vetiver grass in hedgerows.
Vetiver is usually used for:
- Slope stabilization and erosion control.
- Stabilize roadside embankments.
- To reinforce and protect new and existing infrastructure from slippage and erosion.
- Stabilizes and protects river and stream embankments from erosion.
- To mitigate flooding in valleys below by slowing down overall rainfall runoff rates.
