August 16-20, 2006 Greetings from the Pacific Coast of Ecuador! The dry season persists here in Bahia, and with the lack of rain we continue to water the 500+ trees that are planted in the surrounding hills.  As our site at La Cruz had recently begun being cooked by the sun, we have increased the amount of water we are giving the trees. Unlike most […]

August 7-13, 2006 Our last week was filled with the smiles. While celebrating the Ecuadorian Battle of Independence (10 de Agosto) we welcomed 13 students from a local scool to our greenhouse. As part of the continuing Bioregional Education Program children’s seminars being held, these fifth graders were another success. After watering, transplanting and composting at the greenhouse we hiked overland through a new trail […]

July 31-August 6, 2006 We worked extensively this week in Bosque Encantado. The volunteer group is really efficient these days and we have been able to complete a lot of trail and maintenance work. All the trails have been cleared of the verano (summer) shrubs and we have been able to begin the inventory/labelling work for our seedlings. Catherine has begun preparing GPS maps for all […]

July 24-30, 2006 Although the week seemed like it was rather short, much was accomplished by our three international and two Ecuadorian volunteers. Construction in the greenhouse is now finished. Our seedbeds have had compost added, turned and been made a foot deeper. This increased depth, in addition to some drainage gravel, should allow for stronger root development in seedlings. The seed collection season has begun, […]

Patrick Wylie, Field Project ManagerPlanet Drum FoundationJuly 17-23, 2006 This has been the most productive week of my tenure here at Planet Drum! In addition to our usual watering of 400+ planted trees, we undertook major construction projects throughout the work week. On Tuesday we gathered up all the eco-locos (local term for greenies in the city) and had a construction work-party at the greenhouse. […]

July 10-16, 2006 Bahia and the hills which surround it look drier and browner by the week. However there are streaks of green that appear throughout the landscape… seedlings we are maintaining in El Toro, Bosque Encantado and our other sites are growing strong! Some are nearly overhead now! We continue to water and tend to these sites twice a week.  We have begun collecting […]

July 3-9, 2006 Pretty quiet week here on the home front… dry and cool. Great time to be working and volunteering here on the Ecuadorian coast! Late in the week, with the help of local volunteers Jaime and Cheo, we raced through our watering sites (Cherry Tree, El Toro, La Cruz and Bosque Encantado).  But what about early in the week you may ask? We […]

June 19-25, 2006 This week the Planet Drum team worked at 4 sites and our greenhouse. On Monday we went to water at El Torro, where all the trees looked relatively healthy and happy, and the friendly farmer that gives us our water had more than enough to tell us about his pigs. It was our new volunteer Johannes’ first day, so we explored a bit […]

June 5-11, 2006 It rained three times last week! This isn’t supposed to happen. It was fantastic to hear the pitter-patter of rain on the roof! Otherwise, pretty quiet down here on the work front. We’ve settled in to a pretty regular schedule for watering twice weekly at El Toro and Bosque Encantado. We get out once a week to maintain and water our plantings […]

May 29-June 4, 2005 With Heather and Mark’s departure, we had room in the house for new volunteers. Those who arrived in the greenhouse were not friends, but enemies! Shocked as you may be with this less than usual portrayal of those who come to work for us, they were not men, not women, but APHIDS! Over the weekend at the greenhouse, this plague began […]