Trees and Rain

March 28th, 2008 by cfukushima

So it turns out I can write after all, since I´m here in Santo Domingo (for my faithful readers with maps, about 100km west of Quito) in search of some supplies. Not much time though, so I´ll try and sum up:

I had a great week of work, made a lot of progress planting areas vulnerable to landslides and organizing/mapping/caring for the reforestation area, which I´ve taken on as a personal project. It needs a lot of work, but we´re slowly making it into the place it was envisioned to be. Working with the earth is extremely rewarding. I´ve also taken on the phenology trail (a trail around different areas of the reserve for education and research of various trees) and the compost in the organic garden as personal missions. I´m learning that if you want to get something done here, you need to be the one to take the reins and make it happen, as there are only so many volunteers here to keep up all the jobs that need doing in such a large reserve with such wide-ranging goals. Long (and often wet) days working in the forests, great company, great food, and I am learning a heck of a lot about … well about everything. People, places, myself. The earth, what it takes to manage what it provides us with properly, and how that process interacts with the vast social needs of the area.

Must go – have to find marking tape for the forest lines, a capo for the guitar, and food for me.