The mist is barely lifting. Delicate herbs hold dew pearls swaying graciously in their leaves. No wonder pollinators such as multicoloured hummingbirds and butterflies, bees, and diverse beetles alike, flutter around the open flowers, for they release pleasant fragrances. Just behind this delicate scented prairie cut through by a noisy stream of crystal-clear water, in the foreground, apparently scattered groves of various trees display a mosaic of shades of green. The forested mantle seems endless, covering rolling hills and climbing the higher mountains in the background.
Nature is indeed gorgeous. While admiring and enjoying these stunning sights we ought invariably to also recognise the fact that nature is the source and reason of our wellbeing and survival in the planet
Yet, our planet is currently sick due to the high impact that human activities are having on the natural resources. Our species is disrupting natural processes with pollution, resource depletion, species extinction, overpopulation, deforestation, etcetera. In fact, our current rate of natural resources usage reveals that we consume twice as many natural resources than those our planet naturally offers, hence we are causing an alarming deficit. We are not giving Earth time to recover from the heavy use and hence natural replenishment is not happening. However, as we are part of the problem, we can also be part of the solution.
Everybody can act and help. Therefore, we invite you to pledge an extra vow for nature. The cost of prevention is lot smaller than the cost of remediation, hence, even modest contributions to the owners and guardians of the forests, to enable them to protect them better is quite relevant. By contributing to protect and expand the forests we are helping nature help us. The trees clean the air, absorb carbon, help infiltrate and evaporate water, protect the soil, are home to a wide diversity of plant, animal, and fungi species; a natural community that provide us and the planet multiple environmental services like those mentioned here.
This initiative we called VOW: “Voluntarily Offset Weddings”, is an opportunity for sensible couples willing to compensate part of the ecological footprint associated to their wedding events, by adopting a grove of trees amidst the forests of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve to be safeguarded by the local indigenous communities. Through the couple´s VOW pledge all the attendees to their wedding are indirectly being part of it too, another intention worth sharing.
The offsetting of the ecological footprint of a wedding event has multiple beneficiaries: First of all, the indigenous communities owners of the forests, that will have income to help them be prepared and perform on actively protecting the forest (fire prevention and combat in the event it happens, among other activities). Naturally, it also benefits plants and animals that live in the forest and those that visit the forest eventually. Like the unique phenomena taking place in these forests, the migration of the Monarch Butterflies from Canada and Northern United States to their wintering haven in this forest.
But in the end, whole humankind benefits from the conservation of the forests, for helping the ecosystems provide their expected environmental services, for helping restore nature.
Currently the geographic region where VOW is being carried out corresponds to the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in two Mexican states (state of Mexico and Michoacan). Soon other specific sites will be incorporated into the programme. Couples, Wedding Planners and Suppliers can offset as much as they want. Preferably the 100% of the ecological footprint of the events.
By Ramon Perez Gil.
Contact Information:
www.compensovow.faunam.org
WhatsApp: +52 55 5486 9879
e-mail address: compensovow@gmail.com
Instagram: @compensovow