Eco-Ecuador Works
1. Dispatches from Peter Berg
2. Reports from Project Manager, Clay Plager-Unger:
In January, 2007 Clay Plager-Unger took over as
Field Project Manager. His enthusiasm and dedication to community
development will add a significant dimension to our work in Bahia over
the next year.
3. Reports from Bioregional
Education Teacher, Ramon Cedeno Loor:
Ramon Cedeno Loor replaced Valentina Caminati,
who returned to Italy, as Bioregional Education
Manager in late 2006 and completed the 2006 Introductory classes in early
2007. Ramon lives in the Maria Auxiliadora neighborhood of Bahia and
is a teacher. He had been volunteering with Planet Drum's Bioregional
Education Classes for several months before
becoming the manager. In May of 2007 Ramon began a new series
of Introductory classes, and in October he initiated an Advanced class.
(The school year in Ecuador runs from May/June until September, and then
again from October until January. From late January to late May there are
no classes.)
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Note: Click to see the
2006 Reports (Dan Robbins, Patrick Wylie, Valentina Carminati, Sarah
Couture, Heather Crawford) 2005 Reports (Heather Crawford,
Renée Portanova, Kristen Lansdale, Riccardo Clemente, et al.) 2004 Reports
(Renée Portanova,
Brian Teinert) or 2003
Reports (Brian Teinert).
Planet Drum Foundation is seeking volunteers for its Ecological
City projects in Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador during periods from a month to
six months.
Work with our unique revegetation planting and maintaining native plants
to reduce erosion and create habitats for birds and other animals. Join
neighborhood efforts to learn and use ecological practices. Help in
renewable energy development. Assist bioregional environmental education
groups for children and adults.
A background in environmental education and activities, Spanish language
speaking ability, and cooperative living experience are desirable. However,
willing hands and a desire to help restore our damaged biosphere are most
important.
(Click Projects tab at the top of this page and then choose Eco-Ecuador
for background information, or read the up-to-date Reports listed
above.)
Benefits include free accommodation in a large shared apartment,
extraordinary beach and wilderness recreational activities, and
opportunities to improve Spanish skills as well as experience tropical
Ecuadorian culture.
Please send a description of your qualifications and interests to Clay
Plager-Unger, Field Projects Manager,
planetdrumecuador@yahoo.com.
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Current Planet Drum
Volunteers in Eco-Ecuador
The Planet Drum family relaxing while on an excursion in San Clemente
to the Piñon del Sol nature preserve, a piece of protected dry tropical
forest, with examples of ten year old reforestation efforts and areas of
primary forest.
[Click on photo for larger version]
From
front to back:
Clay – El Jefe. Los
Estados Unidos, ten months in Bahia and counting…
Darline – Belgium, four month stay. Darline studied forestry
and nature management and is interested in dry tropical ecosystems, native
tree species and reforestation techniques. She is very happy to be working
out in the field instead of an office.
Lauren – Philadelphia, one month stay. Lauren has a degree in
Environmental Science and wanted to do some volunteering during her
travels around Ecuador. She likes spending time with the saplings in the
greenhouse and getting friendly with the compost heaps.
Michaela – Team Germany, two month stay. Michaela has a
Masters degree in Politics and was the editor of an internet news site
focused on the energy mixes of the future. She has since become very
interested in ecological practices and decided to come get her hands dirty
in South America.
Barbie – Philadelphia, one month stay. Barbie is studying
Sociology and Global Justice. She is volunteering her way around Ecuador
until the end of the year and chose Planet Drum because it's economical
and she is drawn to the vision of urban ecological restoration. She also
likes the communal living aspect. In her free time Barbie is teaching
English at one of the local schools.
Dan – Boston, two week visit. Dan is Clay's college friend and
needed to get away from a 9 to 5 computer programming routine. He
thoroughly enjoyed getting away from his office desk and out into the
campo of Ecuador.
Cori – The United States, five week stay. Cori has a
background in biology and has been traveling around Central and South
America for the past few months. She was thinking about doing some
volunteering when she found out about Planet Drum from a previous
volunteer while in Colombia and decided to come to Ecuador.
Aaron – Not pictured. The U.S., two month stay. Aaron recently
arrived to Bahia and is interested in doing some ecological volunteering.
He plans on helping out with the Bioregional Education classes and is
eager to dive into the other work as well. He's looking forward to getting
into good shape with all of the physical labor we're doing these days and
by surfing in his free time.
[Click on photo for larger version]
Rox — From Scotland, staying 3 months.
Studied countryside management in Scotland and has a year worth of prior
experience volunteering for the National Trust and National Park, where
she helped with practical conservation and environmental education.
Lise — From Denmark, staying 3 months.
Has a degree in cultural anthropology and studied environmental
anthropology, including a thesis on the Huaorani people and oil companies
and differing perceptions of the environment. She particularly enjoys our
communal living space and working on her Spanish.
Andrew — From
Ireland, staying 7 weeks. An electrician, traveling Ecuador, stopped by to
do some environmental volunteering.
Jim — From England, staying 6 weeks.
Studied social anthropology and is helpful preparing learning materials for
kids, as well as strong for carrying heavy loads in the field. He has
volunteer experience with the National Trust, worked for a tree surgeon, and
was a professional cook.
Judith — From Scotland, staying 5 weeks.
An English teacher from Quito for over a year, is taking a vacation from the
books to get her hands dirty in the greenhouse.
Kirk and Crista — A couple from Canada,
staying 3 months. Kirk is volunteering to fulfill the practice portion of
his masters program for a degree in Environmental Planning. He has an
education background in Urban planning. Crista has lots of prior traveling
experience to Italy, New York and Paris.
Tomaz and Mariana — A couple from
Portugal, staying 1 week. Tomaz has been crucial for translating bioregional
educational information into Spanish for our Bioregional classes. Mariana
studied law and was integral in helping prepare a presentation to take on
the cell phone giants of Ecuador (Alegro, Porta and Movistar) to prevent
further construction of cell phone towers within the urban center of Bahia.
