Posts
One of the hillsides above the road in the Bellavista neighborhood has been selected for communal gardening and revegetation. Further up the hill are a dozen large trees planted by Planet Drum in the past (c. 2005). Nearby, we are already making compost at three homes for fertilizing plants and trees. We planted another 20 […]
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After meeting with one of the residents in the Bellavista neighborhood, Martha, about planning a community garden project, Planet Drum suggested that some of the residents (mostly women so far) could help collect kitchen scraps for compost production and soil regeneration. Compost piles need shade, easy access for adding organic waste, and small amounts of water […]
Read MoreDavid Simpson and Jane Lapiner travelled to Bonn, Germany from their home in Petrolia, California to attend and report on the United Nations climate summit. Report #1 October 31, 2017By David Simpson and Jane Lapiner Ambition in Bonn: Dare We Still Hope Two years after the adoption of the Paris Agreement, the world’s nations are […]
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The Astillero neighborhood is located near the bridge to San Vicente, just outside of downtown Bahía. Planet Drum is building a satellite greenhouse operation there with our local contact, Jose María. Since September, Planet Drum has been collecting organic waste from the Bahía market and bringing it to Astillero to make compost there. Now we […]
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Grosella is an endemic fruit tree which produces a small, yellowish acidic berry, which is sold in bags with salt an pepper as a snack. They can also be pickled, candied, or even turned into a wine. Jose María is Planet Drum’s contact in the Astillero neighborhood where we are producing large quantities of compost. He […]
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While regular Planet Drum greenhouse operations at the Catholic University continue to flourish, we are also strengthening community outreach with two Bahía neighborhoods that have been project collaborators for years: Bellavista and Astillero. Last year, Planet Drum constructed an elevated seedbed made from recycled materials in the Bellavista community and coordinated seed collection, planting, and transplanting […]
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As a member of the Cordillera del Bálsamo biological corridor, Planet Drum will be participating with fellow member, local landowner and long-time Planet Drum revegetation partner, Ricardo Lopez, to implement a bee-keeping project to boost local pollinator populations and generate honey production. The project will be funded in part by the United Nations Development Fund Small […]
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Orlando and Jorge, a volunteer from Germany, worked at the greenhouse. Besides general greenhouse maintenance such as watering and weeding, they finished various tasks related to tree production—including seed collecting and planting, soil preparation, bottle cutting, and transplanting saplings. Planet Drum is opening a new composting and greenhouse facility in the Astillero neighborhood with local […]
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The final week’s program of afternoon classes were focused on struggles between development and conservation with reference to the concept of Buen Vivir (Good Living). Buen Vivir is actually the Quechua phrase Sumak Kawsay and refers to the coexistence of social and ecological well-being. The term is used in Ecuador’s 2008 constitution. The week was also packed with a variety of […]
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Ten students participating in a study abroad program with the University of Oregon and Planet Drum Foundation in Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador continued to explore the challenges, tensions, and possibilities for sustainable development in and around the Dry Tropical Forest bioregion. As part of the course work with Professor Jesse Abrams, the students learned about […]
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