Planet Drum
Planet Drum Foundation 2010 Bioregional Education Program Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador Grant Report #1 to the Children of Ecuador Foundation Report from Clay Plager-Unger, PDF Field Projects Manager
Planet Drum Foundation’s Bioregional Education Program (BEP) for 2010 consists of a 12 week program for 12-15 year old local school students of the Bahía de Caráquez bioregion. Classes meet twice weekly in the afternoons and are voluntary, the students choose to participate in the program during their free time. The first day of classes this year was May 11th.
On Wednesdays, the students meet in a centrally located city park to discuss the environmental topic of the week. Topics include: bioregions, land ecosystems, flora, soil, marine ecosystems, the estuary, and birds. Each topic is tailored to the local ecosystems and the materials are prepared by Planet Drum staff, volunteers and BEP teachers.
Fridays each class goes on a field trip that is related to the topic they learned about on Wednesday. Field trip sites include the Cross lookout above Bahía, el Bosque en Medio de las Ruinas (the Forest Amidst the Ruins – Planet Drum’s first revegetation site with trees that are 3-10 years old, some of which are over 10 meters tall), Point Bellaca beach, Cerro Seco Nature Reserve, the Planet Drum greenhouse, San Vicente, a 2010 Planet Drum revegetation site, Isla Corázon (mangrove island), and Playa Gorda (8 kilometers south of Bahía).
This year there are three teachers, Ramon Cedeño, the BEP Manager, and two new teachers, as well as three class assistants (15-17 years old), former BEP students who have completed the program and chosen to continue as teaching assistants. The two new teachers are Nadine Flexhaug, a former Planet Drum volunteer originally from Canada who has been living in Ecuador for over two years, and Margarita Plager-Unger. Margarita is Clay’s (Field Projects Manager) wife, who has a degree in teaching, experience working with school children, a strong interest in the environment and a knack for recycling everything she gets her hands on. Each teacher and class assistant pair have a group of students for the duration of the program.
Due to high interest in the program, the classes have been expanded this year from 15 to 20 students. In total, approximately 60 local students are participating in the classes. The students are selected based on a short questionnaire that they filled out in school and permission from their parents. Each student receives a copy of the ‘Bioregionalismo’ booklet, class materials, a tee-shirt with the Planet Drum and BEP logos, and upon completion of the course a certificate of their participation.
Report from Ramón Cedeño, BEP Manager
It’s a new year of classes with new objectives and new goals to complete. It’s hard to believe that it’s been five years since I started working with Planet Drum and participating in this program which has had amazing results that I hear through the commentaries of students and alumni of the classes. This year we have come up with many new ideas about how to make the classes more fun, engaging and educational for the children.
I enjoy the entire process, from selecting the students who will participate to meeting with the three class assistants (former Bioregionlismo students), who were always asking when we are going to start work. Every time there is something to do, the assistants are willing to come help out.
This year we have two new teachers, who are full of energy, Margarita Plager-Unger and Nadine Flexhaug. There is also a new class assistant, Carlos, as well as the two old class assistants from last year, Raisa and Roberto.
We have decided to focus the program on the Fanny de Baird School (with whom we had one of the three classes from last year) since it is the largest public school in Bahía. Our decision to do this was based on a number of factors. I now work there and there is a large student body from which we can select students. The school administration has been incredibly supportive of the program and will facilitate a space on campus for us so that students can create seed beds for germinating fruit trees.
It’s great to hear all of the students asking about when the classes will start and telling them ‘very soon.’ It fills me with excitement to know that there are so many parents and teachers who want to see their kids and the students participate in a program like Bioregionalismo.
As always, Clay is ready to help out in all aspects of the program, motivating us to do our best, going to make copies, printing, writing plans and letters, and completing all kinds of logistics. Clay meets with us to see what we need and informs us of how to improve, sharing his ideas and entrusting the completion of this work in the group.
Our goal is to create a youth that knows how to recognize the characteristics of their bioregion, create new ideas about coexisting with the environment, and who acquire a change in attitude though the knowledge we impart upon them. This youth will gain an environmental culture based on principles and respect of their surroundings. As a result, we are all winners because each one of them will have a new perspective on our home, Planet Earth.
Planet Drum Foundation 2010 Bioregional Education Program Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador Grant Report #2 to the Children of Ecuador Foundation Midterm Report – Ramon Cedeño, Bioregional Education Manager
We have now begun the classes with 3 teachers, 2 new, and class assistants. Raisa is my class assistant. This year has exceeded our expectations, since all of the classes are overbooked.
At our first class we introduced ourselves and presented our principle objective which is to recognize and understand each of the characteristics of our bioregion, the different types of ecosystems that exist in the dry tropical forest through class materials, games and field trips. Our group decided to name themselves Los Exploradores (The Explorers). Our class is full of all kinds of kids. There are hyper-active kids who want to be involved in everything all at once. And there are students that everyday are asking questions about the new information they are learning.
While on our first field this trip to the big cross which overlooks Bahia, I showed the students some of the trees that Planet Drum has planted. The students admired how big the trees are. From the hilltop, I showed them the characteristics of the bioregion: the watershed of the Río Chone, the mountains and landscapes where the flora and fauna is and the different species of trees, the type of soil that characterizes our bioregion. The Exploradores are a group with a lot of energy. Luis Cuellar is a bright, young student who is very enthusiastic and is always asking about the names of trees and animals (squirrels, anteaters, deer, and ocelot, for example) that live in the forest.
On our hike to the Bellaca Point beach, the students were very interested in the nests of Lincheros (Yellow-tailed Oriole, which makes a hanging nest). I explained that it is a bird that migrates to Ecuador during the winter months. While here, they find mates and reproduce. Once we arrived at the beach, the kids enjoyed a nice dip in the ocean.
BEP Field Trip to Bellaca Point Beach
During another field trip, to the Bellavista neighborhood, I told them about how the neighborhood is well-integrated and good at organizing itself around causes. The students noticed how clean the neighborhood was. I said that it is like an ecological neighborhood or green community within Bahía, and it is through the classes and their work that they will achieve their goals.
Once we had climbed to the lookout atop one of the hills, I explained again the layout of the surrounding watersheds. We could see the great Ceibo trees and other species, such as Laurel which were flowering. I also explained about the cold ocean current, the Humbolt, which flows north past Bahia to Cape Pasado and then turns out to the Galapagos Islands. On the way home, the kids all stopped at a small, local store to buy some snacks. It occurred to me that we were helping the neighborhood shops and community members by supporting their small businesses.
On June 5th, all of the Bioregionalism students participated in a parade that was part of celebrations for the week of the environment. I noticed that the kids put their trash in their pockets and backpacks instead of throwing it on the street. This gave me pride and showed me that they have had a change in mentality.
BEP Students lined up for the EcoWeek parade
One surprise for me was during the ‘Soil’ themed week, when most of the children could not differentiate between organic and inorganic wastes, so I had to explain this to them. That Friday we took a field trip to the greenhouse and the students got to see firsthand how organic waste decomposed in the compost pile. While there, Orlando, Planet Drum’s Field Projects Foreman explained this process and how soil is mixed for growing trees. Orlando told the students about the different kinds of trees and how some produce fruit, such as Tamarind and Chirimoya. He showed them the seed beds and how trees germinate from seeds, then are transplanted and organized into groups of 100. Then he asked if they could identify the species of one of the trees that is growing in the greenhouse. Luis said he could, but that he had forgotten the name. He asked me to tell him what the species name started with, and I told him “Bo…” He quickly responded: “Bototillo!” All of the other students laughed and then when I said that he was right, they clapped and congratulated him.
Then Elodie, a Planet Drum volunteer, spoke about the work that the volunteers do at the greenhouse. She explained how they clear weeds, transplant trees and collect plastic bottles to recycle them as containers for the trees. Then we split into two work groups, one for each pile of soil that had been prepared in advance. Following Elodie’s instructions, the children began filling bottles with the soil. The two groups got into a race to see which could fill up their bottles the fastest. Once the bottles had been filled up, Orlando chose some of the children to go into the greenhouse to get Guachepeli tree seedlings from the seedbed in order to transplant them. The students then planted the seedlings into the bottles that they had filled. Once the work was done, I said that we deserved a round of applause and everyone started clapping. On the bus ride home the children were singing songs until one by one they got off to go to their homes. It was a really great day. And the next week Orlando told me that the kids must have green thumbs because all the trees they had transplanted were doing beautifully.
Ramon’s class at Planet Drum’s greenhouse Midterm Report – Margarita Plager-Unger, BEP Teacher
The first day was a new experience for everyone. On the faces of the children I could see curiosity, happiness and uneasiness because many did not know what bioregionalism is or why they were there. One student immediately grabbed my attention, Bombila. He was very angry with all the other students. Besides him, everyone else was asking lots of question. We read the introduction of the book together. Their questions were: Why? And: What for? That’s the positive aspect that I can comment on. On the negative side, the children were very restless and rambunctious, especially Bombila, who was bothering the others and wouldn’t let us work. I have a difficult group, but it is not impossible to bring them together to love our bioregion.
Friday, all three classes traveled together on a field trip to the big cross overlooking Bahía. When it came time for my class to climb up the cross, Bombila did not hear anything that I said because our class is large and we had to go one by one. It was difficult to control their emotions, but at least they were all very interested and excited. At this point it was interesting because with each passing minute I was learning more about each one of the student’s emotions and spirits. Bombila as always was being the center of attention. Down below, everyone calmed down and became more relaxed.
At the start of the class, to bond and get to know each other better and to break the ice, we played a game. Then we read from the book, paragraph by paragraph, in between we would discuss and act out what was written since the students had questions every step of the way. The class was much more tranquil today. Can you guess why? Bombila did not attend. In the end, all children have different ways of expressing their anxieties. But this story doesn’t end here. That evening I called the mother of Bombila to ask why he didn’t go. His mother said that he had left for the class at 2pm, but never arrived. She thanked me for calling, and said that on Friday she would personally take him to the class. She also commented that she has a very hard time controlling Bombila.
Our meeting spot for the Punta Bellaca field trip was in a park in Leonidas Plaza, a suburb of Bahia. One mother came to the class with her daughter to ask me about the classes. Bombila showed up on his own, and much angrier today than usual. He confessed that he had gone to play video games instead of going to class. On the hike to the beach, he stayed away from the group and didn’t participate at all. Another student brought soda, a cake and sandwiches to celebrate her birthday. Along the way we saw how people have dumped their construction material, solid waste and chemicals on the side of the road. The children pointed this out and asked what we can do about it. We also talked about the trees that we could see and the different types of soil that were exposed by a slide on the side of a mountain. When we reached the beach we celebrated the little girl’s birthday.
This was the 3rd week and the previous week the students had told me that there would be 3 new arrivals. And sure enough, they showed up for the class: Barahona Delgado Marioa del Carmen, Jefferson Garcia, and Manuel Aviega. This class was about how to protect a bioregion. We discussed waste, wastewater, energy, and materials. The class was very enjoyable and we got to know each other better. Bombila had calmed down tremendously and was much more relaxed. He even participated in the class and answered all of the questions. We did a dynamic (game) called ‘the apartments’. It was a great class.
Margarita’s class with Miguelito, the Galapagos turtle
Friday before going to the Forest Amidst the Ruins park, we passed by the Galapagos turtle, Miguelito, who lives at a local elementary school. We fed him and took pictures. Once we were walking towards the entrance of the park, the children were enchanted by the trees all around. The air felt fresher and we could breathe easier. But then as we got closer, things changed.
We arrived upon an area that the neighbors are using as a garbage dump, right next to the entrance of the park. The kids asked “Why has this happened?” And, “If this is such a beautiful space, why doesn’t anyone do anything to keep it clean?” As we walked through the park, I told them of the history of the El Niño phenomenon, its effects and what we were doing there, visiting this forest. This surprised the students and they responded that when they grow up they are going to take care of the environment where they live. I answered that they shouldn’t wait until they get old, they should start now; otherwise it could be too late. After walking through the park, we still had some time left over before going home and the class played a game of soccer against some of the neighborhood kids. It was a great field trip.
This was the second time that the three groups, A, B and C, shared a field trip, this time a hike to the Cerro Seco Nature Reserve. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by Marcelo Luque. He was attentive with all of us, and I was impressed by how he and his assistants organized all three of the classes at once. They were the guides that day and led us through the nature reserve. Along the way they talked about different tasks they complete there, such as planting trees. The children even got involved by helping to water some of the trees they had planted. The students asked if they could also be volunteers at the reserve; they were having a great time. We ended the afternoon on the beach and the kids jumped in the ocean. Everyone had an incredible time that day.
In class today the students took an exam that covered everything they had learned in their Bioregionalismo booklet. The best student in my group is Oscar Lucas Soliz. This kid is excellent. After the test, we talked about Flora. I commented that Ecuador is a country with lots of natural diversity, due to having three climates: coast, mountains and Amazon. We discussed the characteristics of each region. Then we talked about the importance of trees and plants, the different categories of plants, different ecological niches and humid versus dry regions. I also told them about the relationship of humans to all of this, including the threats that we pose, such as deforestation, which causes erosion, and also reforestation, as a positive impact. It was a lively class. We did a type of theater where each student represented one of the points from the topics we had discussed. I was deforestation and I chased them around to try and kill Mother Earth. Afterwards, each kid had to give a positive message about the environment. Jeferson Garcia said “We have to pass on what we have learned to be part of the change and to have a better life in the future.”
Midterm Report – Nadine Flexhaug. BEP Teacher
The students began to arrive to the first class and the start of the new year in the Bioregional education program with excitement and anticipation. The students were enthusiastic about the excursions to come, meeting their professors, and to hear about all the new things they would soon learn.
We chose a nice spot on the grass and together with my assistant, Roberto Rodriguez, we all sat down in a circle and began to introduce ourselves. The students told us a little about themselves and their motivation for joining the program. I was delighted to hear their reasons – to learn more about how to take care of the environment, how to reduce contamination, and to experience more of the bioregion which they live in (through the weekly excursions). Some students already had some basic knowledge regarding what the program is really about and the others with open minds and a young, energetic spirit listened attentively while Roberto and I explained.
We broke the ice with a fun game called Tala de arboles, where one student was elected the ¨Lumberjack¨ and the other the ¨Tree hugger¨. The lumberjack chased the students and when someone was touched, it was as if the tree had been cut. The students fell to the floor and could not be revived until the tree hugger came and gave them life. It took three touches from the tree hugger to finally bring the fallen tree to its feet. We played a few rounds, each time adding another tree hugger to see the difference of how many trees were left standing at the end, with the respective amount of tree huggers saving the trees. Later, we spoke about these observations with the kids and I saw that it awakened a new awareness in them of how fast we can destroy the forests and how long of a process is necessary to restore them. Afterward, we continued to talk about what a Bioregion consists of. Now that the students felt more confident with us, they asked several questions and classmates that knew the answers enthusiastically helped to explain.
The following Friday we went on our first excursion to The Cross. We talked about the different types of vegetation we saw along the way and pointed out the reforested areas done by Planet Drum. Admiring the view over the city of Bahia, we had the perfect opportunity to point out what we had covered on Wednesday – the different characteristics of a Bioregion. At the end of the day, it was clear that everyone enjoyed themselves as the students asked me, ¨And where are we going next week. Teacher?¨
Field Trip to Cerro Seco Nature Reserve
It has been really interesting to see how the group has developed over the past few weeks that we have spent together. Although we only see each other twice a week, we have quickly become like a little family. I noticed immediately that the first few classes the students were a little hesitant at accepting each other as equals. Having already known each other from school, some resentment and negative past experiences with each other were carried over to the program. I was a little unsure of how things would develop in the following weeks and hoped this wouldn’t cause any problems. However, to my surprise this quickly changed. I’m not sure exactly when things shifted, but through the various excursions we made and the games played in the park after class, the students began to form a special bond, not only with each other, but also with Roberto and me. In the following weeks, we covered many other topics including: soil, flora, land ecosystems, etc. and the students began to help and encourage each other with completing the corresponding tasks.
We have had two new members join our group in the past few weeks as well. They both arrived with a great energy and the motivation to learn. The other students welcomed them with open arms and they have brought even more enthusiasm to the classes. Despite the few minor complications in the past, the group today is one, cooperative and inspired team of ¨Bioregionalists.¨ They take pride in themselves when they do something positive for the environment and when they answer a question correctly.
I remember the first excursion we did, to the Cross. We had seen garbage thrown onto the floor by one student or another from each group; they stumbled upon little plants and generally weren’t very conscious of the environment which they live in. However, now each student is quick to put their garbage in their pockets or pick up the garbage of someone else before we even notice. They are inspired to plant trees and care for them and really have a different mentality in the way they interact with the bioregion.
When we went to the Bellaca beach, the kids were very respectful to the environment and enjoyed the best it has to offer. We pointed out the names of certain native plants while we walked, like the Ceibo and Guayacan. We were lucky enough that day to see the cotton which had fallen from a giant Ceibo tree on the side of the road. Before I even had the chance, the students commented on all the different things you can make with the cotton.
Unfortunately we have had a few classes with pretty low attendance. Many of the students were pulled out of classes by their parents. The majority because of their bad grades in school. As a result the kids were devastated. One student asked me to call his parents and tell them to let him come to class and I even had one parent comment to me that her daughter was putting more of a priority in the bioregional classes, than in school. Luckily, almost all the students have come back to the program and now they feel that it’s a great privilege to be able to attend the classes and they really appreciate the time we do have.
With the program more than half way through, it makes me sad to know that classes will soon be over and I think the kids feel the same. However, with the open house coming up, I know there are still many more opportunities to share with the kids and work together to bring a change to Bahia, and the mentality of its people. The students have shown an exceptional amount of enthusiasm in doing a good job and selecting a unique, interesting project for the open house and I am excited to see how the project will develop.
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