Life
Juice company dumped orange peels in park and transforms a patch of rainforest
Over 15 years later, the land is unrecognizable...and flourishing.
Rebecca Reid
10.21.21

A change for the better.

A desolate, deforested area of the Costa Rican rain forest has gone through a complete metamorphosis thanks to the genius idea of two concerned geologists. Daniel Janzen and Winnie Hallwachs wanted to make a difference and their clever plan brought the land back to life.

YouTube screenshot - incredible moments
Source:
YouTube screenshot - incredible moments

A citrus solution.

Janzen and Hallwachs partnered with a local juice company and came up with a genius plan that was a win-win for the environment and the company. The company would be allowed to dump all of their peels and pulp at no cost if they agreed to give part of their deforested land to the Area de Conservacion Guanacaste. – mypositiveoutlooks.com

YouTube screenshot - incredible moments
Source:
YouTube screenshot - incredible moments

The orange compost starts to fill up the land.

The contract between the juice company and the Area de Conservacion Guanacaste was officially signed in 1997. Just one year later, more than 12,000 metric tons of citrus compost had been dumped onto the desolate stretch of land.

YouTube screenshot - incredible moments
Source:
YouTube screenshot - incredible moments

The area lay untouched for over a decade.

Before they left, the geologists marked the spot where the peels had been dumped. The giant yellow symbol would be easily recognizable when it was time to return.

YouTube screenshot - incredible moments
Source:
YouTube screenshot - incredible moments

16 years of change.

The geologists sent graduate student, Timothy Treuer, back to the area 16 years later. He was told to look for the yellow symbol but he was unable to find it.

YouTube screenshot - incredible moments
Source:
YouTube screenshot - incredible moments

The difference in the land was extraordinary.

After going back again to find the symbol, Treuer called Janzen to let him know he still couldn’t locate the area. After discussing where Treuer was looking, Janzen realized that he was standing in the correct spot. Treuer couldn’t believe this was the place. It had completely transformed.

YouTube screenshot - incredible moments
Source:
YouTube screenshot - incredible moments

A freshly squeezed paradise.

The land where the peels had been dumped was like a lush, green oasis. It was even more shocking to see that the area next to the composted land was not nearly as lush.

“It was just hard to believe that the only difference between the two areas was a bunch of orange peels. They look like completely different ecosystems,” Timothy said – mypositiveoutlooks.com. Timothy along with a team of Princeton University researchers continued to study the area and the significant changes for the next few years. They have learned a great deal from the experiment.

YouTube screenshot - incredible moments
Source:
YouTube screenshot - incredible moments

Two different ecosystems.

From their studies, they found that the land next to the composted land was home to just one species of tree. The land that was used for the orange pulp and peel experiment included over two dozen species of thriving plants and trees.

YouTube screenshot - incredible moments
Source:
YouTube screenshot - incredible moments

The trees were massive.

It was amazing for the researchers to see the forest that had popped up in the orange peel area. “You could have had 20 people climbing in that tree at once and it would have supported the weight no problem…That thing was massive.” – team researcher – mypositiveoutlooks.com

YouTube screenshot - incredible moments
Source:
YouTube screenshot - incredible moments

Secondary tree growth is critical for combating climate change.

The team at Princeton learned that secondary forest growth inhibits climate change. ‘The team found out that the second forest is able to absorb and store carbon from the atmosphere at 11 times the rate that the older growth could.’ – mypositiveoutlooks.com

YouTube screenshot - incredible moments
Source:
YouTube screenshot - incredible moments

A smart experiment that can be repeated.

With dedication and collaboration, it is possible to repeat this experiment in other parts of the world. “We don’t want companies to go out there willy-nilly just dumping their waste all over the place, but if it’s scientifically driven and restorationists are involved in addition to companies, this is something I think has really high potential,” Timothy – mypositiveoutlooks.com

YouTube screenshot - incredible moments
Source:
YouTube screenshot - incredible moments

A fresh idea brings hope.

The idea of giving deforested land a second chance at life is not only important but achievable. With climate change becoming more of an issue each day, there is hope that we can turn it around with genius ideas like that of Janzen and Hallwachs.

Now watch the video showing how orange peels transformed a forest.

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