A WOMAN who grew up in the Okehampton area is appealing for people to help her bring bees and trees back to the volcano in Ecuador where she now lives.

Rosie Kuhn lives on a volcano just outside the city of Quito, capital of Ecuador, with her husband Diego, an artist and sculptor, and children Luca, four, and Malena, two.

The couple are working with their neighbours to plant trees and build hives, providing a better livelihood for the people living there.

They are running a crowdfunding cam-paign to raise £2,800 to buy carpentry equipment and beekeeping equipment.

So far, with help from friends and family back home, they have reached £1,400 of the total. The deadline for contributions is January 20.

Rosie, a documentary filmmaker, who grew up in Belstone and went to school at Okehampton College, has lived in Quito for ten years.

‘I went out to do a Masters in Latin American Studies at the University of Quito 10 years ago and I have been there ever since,’ she said. ‘I was just finishing my Masters when I met my husband, who is from there and we got married and built this little house on the side of the volcano.’

The volcano has suffered deforestation due to farming which they are trying to reverse by planting trees. Blossom from the trees provides nectar for the bees, who provide the locals with a better livelihood.

‘My husband decided to become a beekeeper a year ago, and he’s been learning all about that,’ said Rosie. ‘We saw the amazing potential for bees to promote reforestation, because the bees need the flowers on the trees. We started working with our neighbours to pull that together and create a grassroots community develop-ment project so instead of cutting down trees, we have bees that provide a better income, from bee propolis, pollens and creams.

‘This is a pilot project with six of our neighbours and it all started by working together to build a beehive each, and each plant 20 trees, so we now have 120 trees planted.

Rosie used her filmmaking skills to make an evocative short film of the beekeeping, which can be viewed at fundrazr.com/beesandtreesecuador

Having spent Christmas back home with her family in Devon, she is now back in Ecuador where it is the honey harvesting season.

‘I’m hoping to reach out to people who knew me from school, teachers perhaps and friends, who would be interested in supporting this campaign. We are looking to raise £2,800, and at the moment we are at the halfway point, and have until January 20 to reach our target.

‘One of the most important things about crowdfunding is that it is a way for people to contribute directly to a grassroots project. We are there working on the ground with our neighbours. We are not a big government organisation and the money goes directly to the project. It is not going to get siphoned off into some directors’ pockets.

‘The other point to get across is that people don’t have to make a large contribution. It can be just £10 or £20. It is about everyone chipping in a bit to make a difference.

‘We have got a lot of support here, but what we really need is some money to get the equipment. We need to buy a centrifuge and a circular saw so that we can make the hives. We have had lots of support from friends and family in the UK, and what you hope for with crowdfunding is that you start with friends and family and then cast the net a bit wider.’

She added: ‘Diego just harvested his first honey the other day. It is the season when everyone is harvesting their honey. This is a pilot project but we hope in time to extend it to the whole of the volcano.’To find out more, and donate to the fund, click here