Reports from the Bioregional Education Classes of the
Eco-Ecuador Project
2007
Ramon Cedeno Loor replaced Valentina Caminati, who returned to Italy, as Bioregional Education Manager in late 2006 and completed the 2006 Introductory classes in early 2007. Ramon lives in the Maria Auxiliadora neighborhood of Bahia and is a teacher. He had been volunteering with Planet Drum's Bioregional Education Classes for several months before becoming the manager. In May of 2007 Ramon began a new series of Introductory classes, and in October he initiated an Advanced class. (The school year in Ecuador runs from May/June until September, and then again from October until January. From late January to late May there are no classes.)
Index to 2007 Reports
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Ramon's Weekly Report #1
Advanced Bioregionalism Education
Winter Session 2007
October 3rd & 5th
Wednesday the class met up in the park to begin the new advanced Bioregionalism classes. All of the students were excited about the gifts that visiting Planet Drum staffers had left for them (notepads and colored pencils). The theme of the day was the relationship between living beings and the environment. The students split into two work groups, one led by a new student, Alan and the other by Raisa, the bioregionalistas group leader. Each group completed their own analysis of the materials. The two leaders presented the conclusions of their groups, saying that life is a cycle and that everything is interrelated: soil for planting, water, temperature, and light for photosynthesis.
On
Friday we went to the greenhouse with the Planet Drum volunteers, where
another discussion was held before getting to work.
We
talked about the importance of temperature, soil, water, and sunlight for
life: without sunlight there is no photosynthesis, without water there is
no life, and without healthy soil we can't make plantings.
After
the discussion the students helped the Planet Drum volunteers plant seeds,
water the trees and make compost
.
Translated by Clay.
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Ramon's Weekly Report #2
Advanced Bioregionalism Education
Winter Session 2007
October 10th & 12th
The theme for the week was Sustainable Development.
Wednesday
afternoon we made groups in circles to discuss the material at hand. After
each group finished their work, the whole class formed one large circle
and began to analyze the different studies that the groups did.
The
students understand that sustainable development is a very large and
encompassing concept, and to be able to understand it well requires
studying the environment of Bahia and the effect of a large population of
people living here and in the surrounding area.
On
Friday there was a hike through the Jorge Lomas neighborhood in the hills
behind Leonidas Plaza, a suburb of Bahia.
We hiked all the way up over a pass and down to the beach on the other side. The point of the hike was to observe the amounts of garbage that are produced and discarded in this area. In addition to seeing a lot of trash, we also found empty shotgun shells, from hunters killing birds. We hiked through a lot of side trails to see beyond where the road goes.
The students say they want to organize a trash clean up in the area.
Next week the theme of Sustainable Development
continues.
Translated by Clay.