It nice to be home again after four months in South America. Now I have time to reflect on the the many things I have experienced during the Latitudes semester. My FVP was at the Third Millennium Alliance (TMA), a non-profit conservation and research focused organization located on a beautiful mountain range in coastal Ecuador’s Manabi province. As late as the early 1900s, the lowlands of coastal Ecuador were almost entirely forested, but due to unstable logging, the practice of slash and burn agriculture, overgrazing cattle and shrimp farming, it has now lost almost its entire mangrove and primary forests. With 1,203-acre of land purchased over the last nine years, TMA is dedicated to protecting the last remnants of the Pacific Equatorial forests, which have now lost more than 1500 km2 and are continuing to disappear at one of the highest rates in the world, of which only 2% remain.
Third Millennium Alliance offers two types of volunteer placements each with a specific focus. I chose the Permaculture – Agroforestry tract, which was concentrated on large scale reforestation efforts, the cultivation of rare tropical fruits and vegetables, as well as large scale production of coffee and cocoa in a sustainable and organic manner. Although I was primarily tasked with maintaining the edible gardens and agroforestry plots, I was also given the opportunity to participate in the science internship program. Through this synergy of programs, and just everyday dinner table discussions, I was able to absorb a wealth of knowledge concerning not only the ecology of the neo tropics, but a global view of environmentalism.
My average day consisted of:
7:45 wake up to the cries of howler monkeys
8:00 prepare breakfast
8:30 observe the land and make day plan
9:00-12:30 complete routine tasks such as: weeding by machete, preparing and delivering compost tea, maintaining the greenhouse and nursery, transplanting by division to expand the garden, pruning trees, soil creation and formation of new garden beds.
12:30-1:00 lunch, which is prepared by the interns on a rotating schedule
1:00-5:00 work on larger scale garden or agroforestry projects (or go for a hike if none of the projects are extremely pressing)
5:30 shower in the waterfall
6:00 dinner which is also prepared by the interns
6:30-8:00 hangout or play cards
8:00 go to bed before you are destroyed by bugs
When not working in the garden, I spent my time hiking to the various waterfalls or joining the science interns on herpetology and howler monkey surveys. Even after being in the forest for a month, I could always find a new species of plant, animal or insect due to the three distinct ecosystems present in the reserve. The reserve is also conveniently located in the area considered to be the Tumbes-ChocĆ³-Magdalena Biodiversity Hotspot, which stretches from the Panama Canal to Northwestern Peru, and is home to 2,750 Species of Endemic Plants, 21 Species of Threatened Endemic Birds, 7 Species of Threatened Endemic Mammals, and 8 Species of Threatened Endemic Amphibians. The forest changes with altitude from dry forest to wet forest and finally to cloud forest along the ridge line of the mountains, each containing its own distinct flora and fauna.
About six weeks into my internship, something unexpected happened. On April 16th just before 7 PM, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Ecuador. The epicenter was in the Manabi Province, a few kilometers offshore of Pedernales, only about a 30 minute drive from the reserve. While the stilted bamboo huts at the reserve survived the tremors unharmed, our regular work quickly switched to relief effort for the local community at the base of the mountain. Over 600 lives were lost in the region, and many thousands suffered injury or loss of home and family. As professional help arrived from around the world, we began supplying food, water and shelter to the people affected by the tragedy.
On our third day back after the earthquake, we helped rebuild a house in the nearby village of Cameronnes. It belonged to the family of Uver, the logistics manager at the reserve. Uver is an all round good guy with a heart of gold who is always smiling. His familyās home was made of concrete and the foundations and walls had cracked beyond repair during the tremors, which lasted almost a minute. Don Colone, Uver’s father was cleaning out the rubble from his house when we arrived. Throughout this process everyone solemnly reflected on what had happened, and for the first time that I noticed that Uver did not have the usual delighted look on his face. Uverās sister, and mother fed us corn and yucca soup, fried sweet plantain and perfect rice. After lunch we went outside and played some basketball and soccer. In spite of the tragedy and all the work ahead needed to rebuild their lives, Uver played his best and beat everyone.
Thinking back upon my time at Third Millennium Alliance, I realize how much I have learned and grown. Not only through interaction with the knowledgeable staff but also by working with the other interns. I would recommend this organization for any future students with a passion for ecology, due to the wealth of knowledge and experience that they offer. I have now returned to the united states with a plethora of techniques and tactics that will not only help me manage my family’s extensive home garden but allow me to prosper in any future environmental conservation efforts.
Caspar Dennehy