They grow in the secondary forest and Fundacion Vida supports a reforestation project for these non-traditional woods. By expanding the number of different woods that can be used, pressure on scarcer hardwoods is reduced. These woods can be certified as non-destructive to the tropical rain forest. By teaching students the whole cycle of reforestation and furniture making, Mario Rene Zuniga hopes that the program will give a new perspective of the forest to people who have traditionally just cut down or set fire to the forest so they can replace it with pasture land for cattle. Because this program is in a rural area with no electricity, all the wood working is done with hand tools.
Students learn to bend the wood using a steamer and molds, and to make joints without glue.
The quality still needs to be improved somewhat before they are of export quality, but that is the goal. Those of Silin are made with wood through a management plan for non-traditional woods. The director of the school feels the program is a success. Students who graduate already have more income. They can take advantage of renewable resources that they have in the community to improve the economic situation of their families and learn to protect the forest.