Collaboration for a Long-Term Sustainable City
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!
During the rainy season, older trees at the greenhouse are distributed to local landowners for planting at revegetation sites. Meanwhile, the production of new trees continued with the planting of seedlings from the seasonal fruits that are abundant during the rainy season: Mango, Oranges, Mandarins, and Limes among others.
The rains continued falling… Planet Drum planted a new 2017 revegetation site at the Bosque Verde ecological reserve where it has been planting trees since 2005. Heather Crawford (Planet Drum Project Manager 2005-06) returned to visit Bahía and the projects. While here she got to plant trees at Bosque Verde, one of the areas where she worked twelve years ago! February 23rd marks the 18th anniversary of the […]
With the onset of the rainy season, the Dry Tropical Forest landscape turns from dusty brown to vibrant green. It also makes for excellent revegetation conditions. Planet Drum connected with local landowners to assist in grassroots tree-planting initiatives throughout the region. Planet Drum hopes to expand its revegetation work by creating more greenhouses at regional communities and schools. Plans for building a new greenhouse in […]
Work on the greenhouse infrastructure continued with the construction of a new shade structure. Seedbeds burst with the germination of Orange seedlings. And in late January, the rainy season really got going.
In November, volunteers and Orlando worked on improving the new greenhouse by cleaning up, arranging trees and supplies, preparing materials for mixing soil, and building new tools, such as a soil sifter. More soil was collected and sifted and was used as a substrate for transplanting seedlings to plastic bottles. There were also opportunities to work with local communities. Planet Drum was invited to a […]
Planet Drum’s new greenhouse location behind the Catholic University in Km. 8 is officially open and functioning now that we have a connection to the university’s water infrastructure. The greenhouse is now located at a safe and comfortable distance from University buildings which are undergoing simultaneous demolition and construction. All of the trees and nearly all of our supplies have been moved and are available […]