Week 5&6 Febuary 25th-March 5th
Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) Feb 27th
Hue Hue Coyotl
Feb 26th
(Katie) What a great story this community has. . . 30+ years ago a band of artist nomads, known as the Illuminated Elephant caravan started traveling around the world, meeting people, using multi-media theatre to bring about social change, and learning about the world. They lived in school buses, did not believe in owning land, and lived on just enough to get them by. After about ten years of traveling and performing, the group decided it was time to stop. At that time, they were in Mexico and they decided to send out a scouting crew to find a place where they could put down some roots. They found a small piece of land tucked in to a valley with beautiful Mamate tree that called them to settle there.
Britt and I arrived there at dusk when the colors are soft and red. The area around us and the ecovillage looked so magical, we wondered if the caravan had also arrived at this time and had fallen in love with the place as a result.
We met Giovanni and Kathy, our hosts and members of the original caravan, that evening. When we found their house, among the 14 houses within the 6-acre eco-village, we also found Kathy in her garden where she was harvesting her coffee crop. The next morning she served us some of this coffee and it was one of the best cups of coffee I ever had, not only did it taste good, the best part about it was that the coffee was grown 10 ft away from where I was drinking it.
After having this great cup of coffee we got to interview Giovanni, about the eco-village. In addition to what I mentioned in the beginning, here is what else we learned. . . Hue Hue Coyotl was started 25 years ago. They dedicated themselves to the arts with the philosophy that Ecology is Art. All of the infrastructure they installed was designed using ecological technologies such as, water harvesting (it is a very dry area), solid waste recycling (composting toilets), natural building, and many more.
Currently, they have 20 members who work with and have projects all over the world. Giovanni, Kathy, and some other members of the eco-village spend time between the US and there. When they are in the US they continue to do multi media performances in schools and other places they are asked to go. When they are at the ecovillage, they organize all kinds of courses and workshops. People come from all over Mexico and the world to do theses courses. Some of these courses include: Permaculture Design, Leadership training, Alternative Energy, Natural Building, Alternative Medicine, and a program called Living Routes (connected with UMASS) comes there every year as well. This July they are also going to have a course for teaching ecovillage designers how to teach to others (to learn more about this read the next log: GEN).
We asked Giovanni if any of the ecological practices they used here at Hue Hue had rubbed off on the community, and although he was reluctant to take credit for this, he did say that he knew of some people that now had Ferro Cement tanks for storing water (which is what their community introduced and uses), grey water recycling systems, and some member of the surrounding community have even installed dry toilets. One thing that is important to understand is that the region they are in is very dry. They get two-three months of rain a year and it all comes at the same time, so if it is not stored somewhere then water has to be brought in from some where else. So it is really good that their efforts for conserving water are catching on.
One last thing I'd like to mention is how they have been able to stay together for so long. I have visited a lot of communities around the world and the common theme that makes or breaks them is the function or dysfunction of the communication between people. At Hue Hue they have been able to work with their conflict in positive way using tools like Non-violent communication and skills in conflict resolution. I think it also helped that most members of the community had a 10-year history of working together on the road living out of small spaces and little resources.
Another wonderful place that inspires us to continue on with this project. May the inspiration that this community radiates spread around. I encourage you to check out more on their website
Global Ecovillage Network (GEN)
Feb 27th
Here is an except from GEN's website, www.gen.ecovillage.org:
"The Global Ecovillage Network is a global confederation of people and communities that meet and share their ideas, exchange technologies, develop cultural and educational exchanges, directories and newsletters, and are dedicated to restoring the land and living "sustainable plus" lives by putting more back into the environment than we take out."
GEN was started in 1994, in response to Agenda 21, a UN resolution to move towards sustainability. They have a database of ecovillages and projects working with sustainability all over the world. There is also a wealth of other resources on their website I encourage you to check it out.
Why, you may ask am I writing a log about GEN? Not only is Huehuecoyotl (the community we are currently at) a member of GEN, Giovanni (our host here) is the director for GEN Meso America. He is part of GEESE, the Global Ecovillage Education for a Sustainable Earth, which is writing and developing the Ecovillage Design Education curriculum. This curriculum has and will be used as the standard for teaching people about Ecovillage Design as well as how to teach it to others.
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The community house at Huehuecoyotl where they teach courses |
In July Huehuecoyotl will host a course for training ecovillage designers to teach these concepts to others. There are four elements that are focused on when talking about or designing an ecovillage- ecology, economy, Spirituality, and social structure. I won't go into the details of all of this, because this log might turn into a paper. Maybe I have mentioned just enough to peak your curiosity and you will do more research on your own.
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Paco and Alejandra of Proyecto San Isidro |
Proyecto San Isidro
Feb 28th
Our stay with Giovanni and Kathy and the community at Huehuecoyotl rejuvenated us for our last scheduled visit and interview with Alejandra and Paco of Proyecto San Isidro in Tlaxco, Tlaxcala. After a full day's driving and a quick (QUICK! Due to the fact that we have a full schedule and very little time for side trips...) stop in the city of Puebla for some last minute souvenir shopping, we arrived at Rancho Pardo. Now, you might think that we always just drive right to the projects and communities that we have visited. But to give you that impression would really be doing this non-linear trip a great disservice!
We arrived at Rancho Pardo only after stopping at several houses along the way, and frequently checking with passers-by to make sure we were still going in the right general direction. And since we are two, blond, lost looking American girls with a very limited Spanish repertoire, one can imagine how many side looks we get and how many side trips we take. This is the real reason we have a very limited time for touristy things! This is probably one of the best ways in which we have practiced our Spanish...so you see, by getting lost, we're actually having a more full experience. Umm, yeah well...
Rancho Pardo is the name of the area at Proyecto San Isidro where courses are taught and meals are cooked and shared. The full name of this Mexican Non Profit Organization is Proyecto San Isidro Educacion Permanente. The two main areas of focus are a primary school for local children based on similar principles to Rudolf Steiner's Waldorf School, and the Proyecto San Isidro where courses are taught on natural building techniques, organic and sustainable agriculture, and land reforestation techniques. The two work hand-in-hand as the school teaches academics in the context of social responsibility, while Proyecto San Isidro provides environmental training and economic support for the school through the workshops and courses. They are both outstanding models of cultural, social, economic, and environmental success stories in Mexico.
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You can see the erosion happening in the forground and the reforested area in the background |
There are five natural Building techniques used in the wall: Stawbail (top), Adobe (red bricks), Rammed earth (sides), Cob (middle) and earth plaster (yellew and red bottom) |
The history of this project is worth noting, and in fact, an entire book could be written on the interesting life of Alejandra's family. This land, approximately 22 hectares, has been in the family for over 50 years and was the main sight and inspiration for its near complete reforestation. When Alejandra's father moved the family here 50 years ago, there was no school nearby for the children the land was horribly eroded with only one tree on the entire hillside. Today, the whole hillside has been reforested due to the efforts of Alejandra's family. Now other people have lent their land to the Project so that Alejandra and Paco can work their magic (intelligence and heart) by leading courses on reforestation in order to bring back the forests.
Now, the school is important because it was Alejandra's mother who started it with Steiner's principles. Alejandra's father Don Carlos, studied under Ehrenfreid Pfieffer, who studied under Steiner. Pfifer took Steiner's agricultural ideas even further by developing a highly scientific approach to what many of us know as biodynamic farming. So while Don Carlos was enthusiastically preparing the land for reforestation, Alejandra's mother started a revolutionary approach to education for her children and those of the surrounding village in a holistic village school now called, "Instituto de Educacion Integral Magdelena Cervantes."
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One of the sudents proudly showing us the beetroot they grew |
One of the composting Toilets at the schhol |
We took a tour of this school and were blown away by all the little bodies who could teach us how to reforest land, how to build with natural materials, how to compose food scraps and human waste, when and how to apply the compost to their vegetable garden, and why good nutrition and holistic studies are key to a balanced life. This is very abnormal in a country whose forests have been greatly depleted in recent years, tons of garbage has risen significantly, and rates of diabetes are among the highest in the world with obesity a close second. People consume the highest number of sodas in Mexico than anywhere else on the planet. Nutrition is a big issue here and this school is doing its part to educate the children who in turn, educate their parents on health for bodies and health for the planet.
In addition to teaching Mexicans and foreigners alike about the benefits and techniques of building with cob, adobe, rammed earth, and learning how to farm organically and sustainably, they also have an apprenticeship program at the school. This position is open to anyone who has a good deal of knowledge on sustainable agriculture and who loves to work with children, while understanding that these future revolutionaries are great teachers too.
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Students at the natural building workshop learning how the tchnique of rammed earth building |
A House Paco and Alejandra are building using many styles of natural building |
Check out their website for more info on the workshops, courses, apprenticeship program and the amazing cob/strawbale house you'd get to live in and fresh organic veggies you'd get to eat while working with super incredible kids. www.proyectosanisidro.com.mx (You'll need to be able to read Spanish for all but the section about the apprenticeship program).
Thanks again Alejandra for letting us follow you and your natural building course around for 2 days. I can't tell you how much we learned and how inspired we are by your work!
Home Again
March 5th
Whirling wind, winding wildly through the wispy streets. What, might you ask is Britt talking about? This whirling wind would be “Cochita,” our little black Honda car, making its way through the treacherously narrow and potholed streets enroute to the U.S. We’ve been so blessed, lucky, fortunate…any words that portray our relief to have survived driving in Mexico…to return to the states virtually unscathed! But, it will take us a while to re-learn the coolly civilized driving styles of our fellow North Americans. Katie, this means we can’t pass a 5-trailer semi truck loaded to the gills with sugar cane, passing a tourist bus, passing 3 cars as this whole mess swerves at 50 mph around a curva peligrosa. Oh, and never mind the oncoming traffic doing the same thing from the opposite direction! But, we made it. Phew.
We left Proyecto San Isidro in the morning in order to interview Alejandra’s father, Don Carlos, about his experience with biodynamic farming and
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Don Carlos |
introducing these concepts to the community. We learned so much more from him than we expected, which has become the norm in our interviews. He actually talked with us for nearly two hours about his theory regarding the Virgin Guadalupe that could turn Catholic Mexico on its head. Our translator said, “There are two things that people in Mexico do not mess with. One is the Mexican flag, the second is the Virgin Guadalupe.” Don Carlos has written several books on his theory that (and I will very briefly summarize it here) Guadalupe was actually the goddess of fertility, and revered by the indigenous people prior to the Spanish introduction of Catholicism. Her image was “usurped” by the conquistadors who turned an already well-loved icon into the object of catholic devotion, replaced her indigenous face with a European one, and called her Virgin Guadalupe. For an interesting discovery, turn a picture of the Virgin upside-down and you may see a little baby in the folds of her skirt, signifying her original importance as a goddess of fertility. Don Carlos says that if he had published his books 10 years ago (which he tried to do but no publishers would take it, so he printed it himself), he would have been sought out and killed. He is a very interesting man with an incredible story.
By the time we finished our interviews and visits at Proyecto San Isidro and with Don Carlos, Katie and I were ready to return to our families and the comfort of that which is familiar. For 3 days, we drove North through Mexico’s infamous streets, still trying to avoid the toll roads. Invariably, we saved money and saw parts of Mexico that are otherwise off-limits to tourists.
We figured we would have to be meticulously organized on our return trip across the border in order to avoid any unnecessary delays there. We took measures to make lists of everything we brought in to Mexico and everything we bought while there. Unsure about the fate of our 18 hours of video and interviews, we stashed them around the car. On the morning of the border crossing, we selected the least wrinkled clothes, brushed our hair, cleaned the car, and said a few prayers. Well, if it was easy to cross the border into Mexico (relatively), it was a piece of pan dulce getting back into the U.S. The guard didn’t even ask how long we had been in Mexico, let alone to see our passports! We were home free and on the last 1,000 mile stretch to Tennessee and Kansas City.
Once back on the Broadened Horizons Farm in TN, Katie, Eric and I sat down to go over each community we visited in Mexico. We discussed our impressions and what we need on the follow-ups with these projects to put together our film. Katie’s great uncle Mutt passed away just before we returned home and so we cut our processing time short so that she could attend the funeral with her family. There is a long road ahead in editing this footage before it is ready for others’ eyes.
Currently, I have enrolled in an internship program with Soundings of the Planet in Bellingham where I will be learning the ins and outs of film editing from April to the end of June. www.soundings.com
Katie is moving to Australia in April and will continue her investigations into permaculture and social and environmental sustainability there (Click here to learn more). Eric and I have been searching for a boat trailer to haul our demonstration vessel sailboat to the NW. Talk about a process! We’re hopeful to have the boat in Bellingham by the middle of April, whereupon we will set to preparing it for its salt water immersion. We’ll be continuing our work with the Sustainability Research and Education Project in Bellingham, while Katie does her part from the other side of the world.
Look for Eric and I this summer in Fairhaven where we will be offering solar cooked lunches in the business district by bike and on foot! See you in Bellingham.