Eco-Ecuador

Collaboration for a Long-Term Sustainable City

Erosion Study by Field Research Intern

By Clay Plager-Unger | August 27, 2016

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, […]

Visit from Eloy Alfaro High School Eco-Club

By Clay Plager-Unger | August 26, 2016

Nicola, Orlando’s daughter, is now a senior at the Eloy Alfaro High School. She told her teacher about the work that she has done with Planet Drum, including revegetation and gardening workshops, while she was a student at the Montúfar School. Her teacher liked the ideas, and decided to bring the eco-club students to the Planet Drum greenhouse to see first-hand the work that we […]

Triciclo Tree Donation Campaigns

By Clay Plager-Unger | August 25, 2016

As residents slowly stabilize their lives after the earthquake, they have more time and energy to think about tree planting again. Urban tree donation campaigns using a triciclo is a great way to meet with local residents, offer them trees for planting at their houses, and discuss the Bahía rebuilding process. Many locals are interested in stabilizing damaged hillsides by planting trees, and/or want a […]

Greenhouse Relocation

By Clay Plager-Unger | August 24, 2016

I recently met with the Catholic University administration. One half of the university will be demolished; the other half will be reconstructed. Since the greenhouse is currently located directly behind part of the building that will be demolished, it will be impossible for it to stay there. So after thirteen years, Planet Drum will need to move the greenhouse. Thankfully, the university is still enthusiastic […]

Greenhouse Tree Transplanting

By Clay Plager-Unger | August 23, 2016

At the greenhouse, it has been difficult to determine exactly where to dedicate energy. The University itself was heavily damaged and there is a combination of demolition and reconstruction taking place through the buildings. Most of the greenhouse infrastructure was also damaged, and eventually will need to be replaced. In the meantime, there are a lot of trees to care for until they are donated, as […]

Erosion Study: Sites investigation

By Nicolas Beriot | July 25, 2016

One of the main goals of the revegetation done by Planet Drum is to control soil erosion. But exactly how much erosion can be avoided as a result of revegetation efforts? To provide a quantifiable answer to this question, Field Research Intern, Nicolas, is doing a study of the rate of erosion in areas where Planet Drum planted native trees compared with areas that are […]

Earthquakes Wreak terror and havoc on coastal Ecuador; Bahía is among the hardest hit

By Clay Plager-Unger | July 11, 2016

It’s been nearly three months since a 7.8 earthquake rocked the coast of Ecuador. In less than one minute (approximately 50 seconds), Bahía de Caráquez, and many other coastal cities (Pedernales, Manta, Portoviejo) and towns (Jama, Canoa, Mompiche) were hit with a wave of destruction that continues to reverberate to the present in the form of aftershocks, demolition, and rattled nerves. As of last night […]

Canoa Tree Planting

By Clay Plager-Unger | June 9, 2016

Rachel, a Planet Drum intern from 2012-13, happened to be visiting Ecuador when the earthquake hit. Heroically, she made the difficult decision to return to the area and assist in the recovery efforts. She has been working with the people in Canoa to rebuild ecologically, and of course, she has been promoting Planet Drum’s revegetation work. Canoa was one of the places that was hit […]

New Seedbeds

By Clay Plager-Unger | May 31, 2016

One of the benefits of the new Planet Drum house, aside from having a roof over our heads – which is real luxury considering the number of buildings that have been destroyed in and around Bahía as a result of the earthquake – is that there is a yard, and we have space for things like seedbeds and plants. As soon as Nicolas finished building […]

Urban Composter

By Clay Plager-Unger | May 21, 2016

Planet Drum’s first intern at the new house is Nicolas from France. Nicolas arrvied in May and will spend 4 months assisting with the Dry Tropical Forest Revegetation and Bioregional Education Project. He has a special interest in studying Planet Drum’s revegetation sites, especially in regard to soil erosion prevention. One of his first tasks will be to build a new organic waste composter at […]