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 field excursions. On Monday, the group made their last visit […]

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 concepts related to community-based conservation and tourism. This week the […]

Ten students participated in this year’s study abroad program, “Sustainable Development in Latin America.” The course ran from July 8th-August 5th, 2017 and was a collaboration between the University of Oregon, USA and Planet Drum Foundation’s Ecuador Program. The students explored issues related to sustainable development including the tensions, challenges, and possibilities for reconciling development and conservation in Ecuador. Accompanied by Professor Jesse Abrams, the […]

Planet Drum hosted a group of participants from the Sustainable Summer organization’s Ecuador: Seeds of Change program at its greenhouse for a revegetation workshop. The group of ecologically-minded young adults learned about bioregional practices and then got their hands dirty transplanting native fruit trees. Thanks for the visit!

In 2014, Planet Drum did a Dry Tropical Forest Revegetation workshop with the Los Algarrobos elementary school in Canoa. Recently we returned to the school to do another workshop. We arrived Friday morning with a truckload of  native fruit trees (one for each student and faculty member and began showing them how to plant the trees. A total of 12 trees were planted at the […]

A friend of Planet Drum’s from San Vicente, Marcos Cevallos, contacted me about receiving a tree donation for the Colegio Elias Cedeño Jerves in Canoa. I suggested he pick up 100 native fruit trees (Chirimoya, Guava de Machete, Pechiche, and Mandarina) that we had available at the new Planet Drum house. The trees will be planted at the school by the students. When Marcos arrived, he was […]

The implementation of mini-greenhouses to be installed in local communities and schools is being developed as a new aspect of the Dry Tropical Forest Revegetation and Bioregional Education Project. The first step is to build semi-portable raised seedbeds and donate them to people who are interested in participating. The seedbed is filled with rich soil for germinating seeds. Residents then help collect seeds for the […]

Padre Jorge Ugalde Paladines Colegio, a school in nearby San Vicente, that participated in Planet Drum revegetation workshops at the greenhouse in the past, recently was in touch with us again. They expressed interest in receiving more trees for the students and teachers to take home and plant. They are also interested in receiving a portable seedbed to begin producing their own trees in the […]

Planet Drum Field Research Intern Nicolas from France has recently completed a three month erosion study on the hills near Bahía de Caráquez. Nicolas selected five areas to study (Bellavista, La Cruz, Km. 8, and behind the greenhouse at the Catholic University). Each area has two sites (measuring 8m by 8m), one with vegetation and one without vegetation. At each site, a concrete bollard was poured, […]