Jama-Coaqua Reserve

The Third Millennium Alliance is an organization that i heard about from a friend, erinn, in fort collins. two years ago her brother, another american and an ecuadorian started buying formally deforested land in the cloud and rainforests of western Ecuador via donations and fund rasing efforts. this area was one of heaviest deforestation zones in the world and all but began to cripple the local ecology. in rainforrests moisture is not held in the ground or soil or weather, but rather in the forest itself. once trees and plants begin to be cleared, the water of the overall system leaves with it and the surrounding areas come into risk as well. the coastal forests drive moisture into the air and directly bring weather patters deep into the interior of continents. without coastal vegetation the whole country is at great risk of turning to desert. in western ecuador there is only 3% of the coastal forrest that once were, making this area incredible important and a perfect example of the problems we face. without coastal forests the amazon is in dire distress of losing out on the moist winds from the ocean.

The idea of the farm that i am at currently is to work on viable and sustainable methods of reforestation and community involvement with surround farmers to be good stewards of their land in order conserve the precious forest. as globalization and materialism moved to south america, US companies saw no intrinsic value in rainforrest. in a capitalistic system things only have value when commidified and turned into a product. here that meant clear cutting for timber, slash and burn for cash crops like corn and deforestation for cattle raising. as people lost their land and habitats that used to sustain life, they increasingly needed to follow suit with their land, sell it off to companies and take jobs in the growing cities. this rapid change crippled local economies and destroyed thousands of acres of important forest.
Using the ideas of permaculture the Third Millinium Allience is farming with what is called agroforesty. in this system plants like banana, cacao, coffee, orange, nuts, vegetables and endimic tree spiecies are planted together in a cohesive system. the forest is replanted with trees that are native and farming still takes place in a balanced way. this system allows for forest to begin to flourish while subsistence farming allows for abundant life to thrive.

With those goals in mind our usual days are involved in cataloging local plants, working in the garden, talking with the surrounding communities, experimenting with new ideas in growing and enjoying the howler monkeys. in working with the local community the alliance is learning form their knowledge of the area and helping develop ways to strengthen true wealth, education, take care of the river basin, revive the forest and insure this area is protected for life. locals are really open to our ideas and they have taught us so much about the intense jungle that surrounds us with puma, jaguars, vipers, hummingbirds, monkeys, butterflies and countless others in the most ecologically diverse country on earth. its a group effort.

our kitchen that just added a "wetlands" filtration system fro the waste water leaving the sink. we pipe the drain into a 55 gallon drum filled with a gravel and sand mixture with long rooted wet plants growing in it to clean the water to use in watering the veggie garden below.

this is an oven that i designed with the help of the internet. i salvaged the materials from in town and am currently making a mix of clay and sand from the area into a super strong material called cob. the mud mix will cover the top and sides of the drum and a fire will burn below to heat the drum for pizza and bread. ummmm, baking.
literally cloud forest
this is agroforestry in process. in this section of earth their is reforestation while cacoa, papaya peas and bananas are grown for eating. as the forest replenishes itself the farmer still has enough food to feed his family and trade in town.


our wall-free locally harvested bamboo home tucked into the forest.

bird of paradise

the living room
in only 2 short years the alliance has already done so much. they have a great connection to the community and personally protect hundreds of acres of rainforest. there are tons of plans for the future including carbon trading, in town community center, education workshops, eco tourism and more integration with what the locals envision for their lives. up to now all the money has been raised grassroots style and soon the reserve will be self-sustaining with its heaps of programs. unlike many other projects, this one is truly whole-istic and grounded firmly in working together with nature in order to find the balance between what mother nature knows and what humans need to survive on an earth that has begun to truly reach its current carrying capacity. not only is the project oriented in really positive and mindful ways, but life is awesome here. we have no power, no communication, no fridge, composting toilets, fresh fruit and peaceful days. we are free to play with any ideas we have and try to create cheap and appropriate technologies to share with others in the area. days pass slowly and i find myself feeling truly connected to all the work i do throughout the day. without the distractions of modern life i truly know where my energy comes from and where it goes... plus there has only been two huge tarantulas on my bed at night so far....
for more info on this sweet organization check their website and the links it hosts:
http://www.3malliance.org/

love to you all!
i am headed back to the good ole colorado in three weeks and excited to see everyone again. on a side note, i just was accepted to humboldt state university in arcata, CA for a masters in social work this coming summer. i am excited to continue learning and explore the redwoods of northern california starting in july. my time in colo will be short this go round, but lets get together and share and play.
rather than hoping all is well, i encourage us all to make things well. we control our lives and fate of this planet. every moment is one to turn it all around and open ourselves to unlimited bliss that flows in each of us constantly.
in love and light
namaste

krishna round 2

Eco-Truly Park Peru


i had the chance to stay at another hare krishna intentional farm and yoga community just a few hours outside lima, peru for a few weeks. the basic premise of the site was to both be a space for spiritual study for monks from around the world as well as provide a setting for agricultural and societal education to day vistors from the city and long time international volunteers alike. the area was amazing and located right on the beach. all surrounding the farm were massive sand hills and dry harsh desert. the farm itself was literally on sandy soil but over time and with the correct rotaion of crops enough nutrients have been injecting organically in the soil to allow for growing numerous plants.
when tourists came to the farm they were treated to fresh local organic vegetarian food and given information on diet, composting, alternative energy, ayurvedic medicine, meditation, yoga, self-composting toilets and off-the-grid living. i really enjoyed the balance of giving information and not pushing their religious beliefs too hard. it seem that the main goal was to present ideas about a more sustainable future and opening the door to spirituality if people were interested. there is a huge and growing network of hare krishna communities all over south america and they are really, in my opinion, doing some amazing work. in a time where many south american countries are on the verge of moving towards becoming fully "developed" counties there is a huge push to join full force into the consumer materialism of the West. while americans and europeans enjoy a seemingly high standard of living its important to realize how detached and unhealthy our societies have become and the extreme natural resource exploitation that has been a necessity to reach this point. the Krishnas are reminding people not far removed from smaller community living, that being self-sufficient is a REAL measure of wealth and allows for ownership over one's life. peru is experiencing a huge boom in credit card use and millions are falling into debt that will control their lives for years to come. as people struggle to follow the west and enjoy the pleasures of abundance, now is a critical time to explore new ways of reaching that level without making the same ecological and spiritual sacrifices that we have made in the USA.
what better way to convince and expose others to forward thinking ideas than to live what you preach fully and invite others to experience it for themselves.

windmill water pump from the well. the park also had solar dryers, solar water heaters and examples of water distillers.
this castle like space was the male ashram, or spiritual sleeping space

misty mornig of the community surrounded by tree and vegitation emerging as if by magic from the sandy beach.


as soon as anyone walked onto the property they always remarked at the sense of peace they felt just by being surrounded by spiritually minded people and carefully constructed buildings in the midst of trees, veggies and peacocks. i loved being here and days filled with yoga, crafts, farming and smiles were a joy. there were volunteers from all over the world present: austrailia, finland, slovokia, ireland, other boulderites, swisserland, argentina, germany and of course peru. what a place perfect for the crystallization of ideas and community involvement. after seeing the way that the spanish catholics ravigaed south america centuries ago and reading about US oil companies drainig resources and corporations fighting to control the leaders, its incredibly refreshing to see and outside institution offering true help in such a way that it is only offered and provided as an alternative. nothing forced only love being openly shared.
hare krishna!