Cute little guy

Permaculture Internship at the Jama-Coaque Rainforest Reserve

An hour and a half north of Canoa, the Jama-Coaque Reserve has been established as a haven of conservation in a countryside subject to rampant deforestation from the logging and cattle trades. The Third Millennium Alliance, an organization dedicated to the principles of conservation and permaculture, purchased the reserve to conserve the existing virgin rainforest, expand degraded lands through reforestation and work with the surrounding communities to develop and incentivize economically viable and ecologically sustainable alternatives to land use in the area. 

3MAlliance’s Jama-Coaque Reserve in western Ecuador is the last line of protection of one of the most biologically valuable and endangered ecosystems in the world. With 275 acres of tropical rainforest and cloud forest, the reserve is part of the last 2% of rainforest in a bio-region that once spanned the length of three countries.

What is Permaculture?

Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and perennial agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in natural ecologies. The name derives from the terms  permanent agriculture, and permanent culture.  Permaculture design principles are based on the concept that the only ethical decision in land use is to take responsibility for our own existence and that of our children. All of the decisions at the Jama-Coaque reserve are made under the umbrella of permaculture principles.

Bamboo House & Permaculture Development

The Bamboo House serves as the reserve headquarters, volunteer accommodation, research center, and living laboratory of permaculture development techniques. Potable water is harvested from nearby natural springs and rainfall, and a long-term goal of 100% food self-sufficiency is underway.

A mix of local community members, university interns, ecology professionals, and traveling volunteers are working together to convert tracts of previously-degraded forest into an edible ecosystem. Wild orchards are already scattered throughout the forest, such as banana, orange, coffee, and cacao groves hidden beneath the canopy.  Much work needs to be done, and we need as much help as we can get.  Those who are interested in or who practice permaculture are welcome to work and study with us.

Scientific and Academic Research

The land in and around the Jama-Coaque Reserve is, from a scientific perspective, virgin and unexplored terrain. The extravagant ecology, its biological “mega-diversity” and endemism is matched by very few other places in the world, and yet very little of this ecosystem has ever been studied. 3MA extends an open invitation to any and all biologists, ecologists, students, and academics to explore, study, and document the life and natural systems that abound in this forest.

Short-Term Volunteer Program

The Jama-Coaque Reserve in cooperation with Canoa Thrills has developed a six day volunteer program for travelers who want to truly experience eco-tourism.  The reserve experience includes five days of project collaboration with other volunteers and locals in and around the reserve, as well as an education in permaculture, rainforest ecology, conservation and reforestation.  Projects will vary depending on need at the reserve as well as the interest and aptitude of the volunteer, but may include construction projects around the Bamboo House, work in the orchard or garden or planting native crops in the surrounding community.  During the six day period, volunteers will choose a free day to relax at the Bamboo House or lounge around in a nearby waterfall.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 at 2:44 pm and is filed under Paragliding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.