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Only 48 hours until I have to kiss this beautiful city goodbye. Trying to tie up loose ends and enjoy my last moments. A crazy week, super full, as they say around here. Planned a minga (barrio clean-up), a mural with an ecological theme, and the inauguration of the Bosque en las Ruinas park. The […]
Read MorePlanet Drum Foundation held a reception and presentation about Bahia de Caraquez titled “Ecuador’s Ecological City” in San Francisco on December 8, 2000. The site was Fort Mason’s cozy renovated Firehouse, where refreshments were served and a raffle was held to raise funds. Asmara Pelupessy, PDF’s administrative assistant and membership manager, welcomed everyone and Tamara […]
Read MoreRoosters crowing, a dog barking in the distance, tropical birds chirping overhead, it’s a quiet morning in Bahia de Caraquez. Good day to go up ‘killer hill’ (as Tony and I have fondly named the climb up to the new park site in Maria Auxiliadora), and move dirt. Exciting to see progress on the paths […]
Read MoreWhen we started the planting project in Maria Auxiliadora, it was clear that this could be a testing ground for ideas about recovering eroded land with major potential locally if not throughout coastal Ecuador. Here are some of the factors that make work on only a few hectares of earth so significant. To start with, […]
Read MoreEach trip to Bahia de Caraquez starts with ideas about what will happen that become transformed in profound ways before the visit is over. Two mutations in plans have occurred so far this time. Our revegetation project has morphed into a proposed city park, and what began as a tentative outline for an overall ecological […]
Read MoreBahia de Caraquez is a small city but its regional importance magnifies its size. How small depends on the particular perspective that a question might require. How many people? Twelve thousand or three times that depending on who is answering and why the number is important. (World Watch Institute uses 25,000 population as the standard […]
Read MoreSeptember has been overcast nearly every day since we arrived nearly two weeks ago. Some locals have taken to wearing sweaters and jackets and making mock shivers when the say ‘Esta frio (It’s cold)!” But most continue to wear T-shirts as Judy and I do who feel that it’s pretty reasonable weather for San Franciscans. […]
Read MoreI. Introduction — The need and purpose of a plan to create an ecological city. A) Need 1. Ecological City Declaration 2. Understanding, coordination and participation with all ecological endeavors a. Projects and activities — government and private b. Public participation — consult and assist in developing various activities and projects. Public information — government, […]
Read MoreBahia de Caraquez has already lost its earthquake-struck look. Some prominent buildings of several stories that retained cracks and holes where cement was lost in 1998 have been patched or otherwise restored, and the absence of those particularly eye-gouging open wounds has an uplifting effect.. The people have a similar forward looking attitude. It’s an […]
Read MoreThe City and County of San Francisco, California, Board of Supervisors adopted the following resolution on May 22, 2000. The Mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown, signed this Resolution on June 2, 2000. WHEREAS, The Canton Council of Ciudad Bahía de Caráquez of Ecuador has enacted a Bylaw, signed by the Mayor, declaring the municipality […]
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