Clay Plager-Unger is the former director of Planet Drum Foundation's Eco-Ecuador project.
At Yocasta’s suggestion, we delivered a batch of 40 native fruit-producing trees to a local community housing project in Leonidas Plaza, Ciudadela Maria Enrique Orrantia, that was built for earthquake refugees. There was a barren hillside in the middle of the community that was an ideal location for revegetation. Additionally, residents took trees to plant in their patios and backyards. Approximately thirty local residents including a […]
In Bioregional Education news, we paid a visit to the Algarrobos School in Canoa to check in on the students, their gardens, and the elevated seedbeds that we had constructed there. Planet Drum volunteers assisted the students in creating a new garden space at the school and fixing up the older spaces that they are using. We helped the fifth graders make signs and plant seeds for […]
A local acquaintance, Yocasta, contacted me regarding planting trees in neighborhoods where residents were relocated after the earthquake of April, 2016. In many instances the residents received donated houses because they lost everything during in the earthquake, but these new housing projects typically have little to no existing vegetation. Yocasta was interested in helping residents improve their new homes by planting trees, so she reached out […]
Long-time friends of Planet Drum, Gina and her four children along with Clay, Margarita, Sol, and Luna spent the morning at the greenhouse learning about compost production, seed collection and preparation, as well as tree-planting techniques. The kids got their hands dirty mixing a fresh batch of soil (compost, dirt, and rice hulls. Then they filled bottles with prepared soil, and transplanted seedlings from the seedbeds […]
At the Catholic University greenhouse we are expanding tree storage space to move in trees from the Astillero greenhouse, where due to water shortages it is difficult to properly water all of the trees. New bamboo corrals were built with black plastic sheets covering the ground so that the roots don’t grow through the bottles in the soil below; the plastic also conserves water. Additional tasks […]
For the final week of the University of Oregon Sustainable Development Study Abroad Program the students completed their Ecuador experiences with a visit to the Bahía de Caráquez Municipality, Los Algarrobos School in Canoa, the Planet Drum greenhouse, and two days in the beautiful mountain town of Mindo. At the Bahía de Caráquez Municipality, we met with long-time friend of Planet Drum Foundation and current vice-Mayor Iván Aguirre and members […]
Students continued to explore the challenges and possibilities for reconciling development and conservation in Ecuador during the second week of the University of Oregon Sustainable Development Study Abroad Program in Bahía. Activities for week two included a visit with local fishermen, tree planting with the National Electric Company, a tour of the Isla Corazon Wildlife Refuge, a trip to the Machalilla National Park and whale-watching […]
This summer Planet Drum hosted the fourth study abroad program with the University of Oregon. The course is called Sustainable Development in Latin America and covers the tensions, challenges, and possibilities for reconciling development and conservation in the dry tropical forest zone, a critically important and globally imperiled ecosystem. Twelve students were accompanied by professor Moriah McGrath on the program. After spending a week taking language classes at […]
Volunteers Nico and Kate helped construct a composting toilet with recycled wood. The design is a simple wood box, open on the bottom, with a toilet seat on top. In the woods near the greenhouse, Orlando and three other volunteers (Laura, Peter, and another Kate) dug a hole approximately 4 ft deep and 2 feet wide in the ground and the wood box placed on […]
June was a particularly productive month with excellent assistance from six volunteers: Mikaela (Finland), Alisa (Switzerland), Kate (England), Colleen (U.S.), Nico (Spain), and Laura (Ecuador). The entire greenhouse area continued to evolve and progress. Space for more trees was increased as tree production expanded. More than 1,000 new trees were transplanted from the seedbeds to bottles, which required cutting all of those bottles, mixing soil […]