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200 year old Ceiba Tree
Hurricane Matthew in September, 2010 was downgraded to a tropical storm that shed six days and nights of continuous rain which swelled the banks of Zapote Creek to nearly overflowing. Two years ago the banks of the creek did overflow and flooded the Women Environmentalists project in Estelí. To prevent this from happening again they had a bulldozer reroute the creek and dig it deeper to allow the water to drain off faster to avoid another flood. Now, two years later, we see the results of this improvement. While the project did not flood, damage was caused downstream because of the increased velocity of the water which cut away the banks and undercut the roots of this wonderfully ancient landmark. Immediately, the Nicaraguan Army rushed into service and cut the large limbs off to make it safer. This tree was considered sacred by the Maya Indians who believed that there were forest spirits residing in this silk-cotton producing tree.                                          Lee en Español

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Ceiga Tree Root Ball



This shows part of the root system that was undermined by the strong current of the swollen creek.

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