Christmas in Honduras!

Christmas is officially here in Catacamas, Olancho. Today is the last day of classes at the university, and I get two whole weeks free of the university grind!!! I plan to read a lot of articles about three-wattled bellbirds, harvest coffee in the mountains, drink a fair amount of rom-po-po, have an awesome house-warming party, visit my old homestay family, go spulunking around the Lago, and go swimming up on the North Coast. Two weeks suddenly feels way too short to accomplish all of those activities. Being a "volunteer," I suppose I could choose not to return to work on January 2nd with the other professors...but we definitely won't be ready to open our biological education program in the Sierra de Agalta  National Park in Februrary if I don't start working then.

It's been a couple months since I posted an update on here...which I think signifies that life has become a little more normal and a lot busier. My university counterparts like to work 60 or 70 hour a week...which I find insane, especially for Honduras. I try to keep it to a solid 40 (since I'm just a volunteer and all, and someday I want to start my master's research). Next year's activities should be a bit more diverse and a bit more fun, however.

In February, we start the PEB school year, and I'll be traveling out to the aldeas, teaching biology to 4th-6th graders, IDing birds, catching insects, trapping bats, collecting bones...all those fun biology activities that everyone loves! We are also going to be making a science center here at the university, where we are hoping to bring kids from the surrounding communities to learn about nature!

Next year will also be the first year of our newly formed student club ECO-UNA, which I'm advising in part. We will be doing some slaugherhouse cleanup activities, biological monitoring, mist netting, tree planting, etc.

Ooh, and don't forget that we are planning the first ever Congreso Nacional de la Sociedad Mesoamericana para La Biologia y La Conservacion here in Honduras at the university. That will be happening in May, and we will be bringing in biologist, ecologists, and conservationists from all over the country to share their research and experiences!

Anyhows, that's a brief update from here in Catacamas. Hope you all have an awesome Christmas filled with snowboarding, starbucks eggnog lattes, icicles, snowmen, fir trees...and all those other things I will never see in Central America.

Love!

Ruth

birds seen today

On my way out to the farm this morning I saw the following:

White-tailed Kite
Roadside Hawk (2)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (3)
Crested Caracara (3)
Turquoise-browed Motmot
Northern Waterthrush
American Redstart
Spot-breasted Oriole
Blue-grey Tanager

and all the super common birds that aren't worth mentioning

and then i jumped into quick sand....

So this week I went up to the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve to help out with our biological education program. The lady in charge up there was going to give two all day presentations to 100 kids, all by herself...so of course I offered to go stay up there with her for a week in the mountains :) I felt pretty good about everything at first, I was communicating with the kids, I hadn't spoken English for a whole week, I only had one night of terrible diarrhea. Then, as we were walking out to a river (with 4 teachers and 100 students) we came to a drop off. In front of the drop off was what appeared to be a baked, muddy river bottom. The little kids were hopping down there and running across the cracked, dried mud, and I figured everything was peachy down there in the bottom. So, I jumped from the bank and instantly sank up to my waist. Turns out, in Honduras (and probably everywhere else) mud that looks dried and cracked is probably okay to walk across. Mud that looks smooth and pretty will suck you in up to your waist. So, there I was, stuck in the mud, trying to laugh at myself, when I discovered I couldn't get out. I couldn't move at all. Every time I tried to get one leg out, my other leg sank down farther. So I flung my body at the bank, trying to get some leverage, and after a few minutes of pulling, I was free. At this point those 4 teachers had made it up to the muddy section. They stood up there on the bank saying things like "pero, era illogico, mira el lodo es blando, que estuvo pensando." At which point I realized I had sunk in their estimation from gringa biologist to idiot gringa who can't walk down a path in the campo without almost dying. For the rest of the day I stunk like nasty pond water and was covered in mud. hahaha. yes, the model of the professional image the peace corps keeps telling us we need to maintain.

One month at site

Hello! I have been here in Catacamas for just over a month now. I´ve been running around like crazy trying to get to know everyone and figure out what work ops I have. I just wrote an update for my bosses, and I´ll attach it. It´s in Spanish, but I´ll use google translate to attach an english copy too. Cheers everyone! Hope you´re all doing well. 
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Hola!


Ya he estado en Catacamas por un mes, y creo que tengo que mandarles un reportaje chichito acerca de mis actividades de este mes y el plan futuro. En general, yo enfoqué este mes en la actividad de conocer los profesores de la universidad y los proyectos que ya existen allí. También, yo traté a involúcrame en las comunidades de Ben y Josh.


Específicamente, yo realicé las actividades siguientes. Enseñé un modulo para 28 estudiantes de el departamento de recursos naturales a la UNA, como parte del clase Extensión Comunitario. Yo di 7 clases por 3 horas, cada uno. Facilité discursos sobre problemas ambientales en las comunidades de los estudiantes, sus sugerencias para mejorarlos, y las dificultades en cómo tratar a cambiar las acciones de adultos. Trabajamos también en la finca ecología que la universidad tiene. Estamos construyendo un jardín botánico como parte de la finca con plantas de una comunidad Pech de Culmí. Fui una vez a esa comunidad, Subirana, para traer plantas para el jardín.


Otra actividad de la universidad era recoger información sobre las escuelas y comunidades en la zona amortiguamiento de la Sierra de Agalta. La universidad tiene un programa de educación biológica en Culmí, enfocado en la zona amortiguamiento del Rio Platano. Este programa tiene dos años de éxito, y los fundadores quieren darnos dinero para empezar una copia del programa en la Sierra de Agalta. Estamos escribiendo una propuesta ahora para que recibamos fundos de empezar en el enero. Entonces, por esta tarea, yo fui a Talgua por una semana, y viajé con Josh y Calixto a 7 comunidades en la zona amortiguamiento. Conocí a todos los maestros de esas escuelas, y junté la información y datos acerca de las escuelas en un reportaje, que yo mandé a mi contraparte. También, formamos una lista de todas las otras escuelas en la zona, y voy a buscar data sobre esas en la distrital esta semana.


En Las Jaguas, Ben y yo empezamos un grupo de mujeres jóvenes. Tenemos tipo 20 mujeres involucradas, y tenemos reuniones todos los sábados a las 2. Yo he ido a las reuniones y he apoyado planificarlas con las lideras. Este mes, hemos formado una junta directiva, hecho pizzas, y formado un equipo de futbol. Estamos planificando una rifa para que ganemos dinero suficiente para tomar una gira turística-educativa, posiblemente en las cuevas de Talgua. También estamos planificando un proyecto de reforestación en la microcuenca atrás de la comunidad. Las mujeres quieren sembrar árboles y conocer mejor la fuente de agua. Benjamín probablemente va a darles más info sobre el grupo ya que es su proyecto más que mío.


En mi último proyecto, yo he trabajado con tres profesores de la UNA para planificar un mini proyecto de reforestación. Vamos a realizarlo esta semana y la próxima. Tenemos un vivero forestal de arboles nativos en la UNA. El encargado quiere usar las plantas para dar espacio para que sembremos arboles nuevos con los estudiantes. He visitado 3 comunidades (Guanaja, La Union, y Las Jaguas) y tengo dos escuelas y un grupo de mujeres que estén listos para sembrar los arboles. Ya tenemos el espacio y el permiso sembrarlos y la UNA va darnos las plantas gratis. También, una comunidad más contactó la UNA para pedir arboles. Entones vamos a llevar entre 100 y 300 arbolitos a cada una de estas 4 comunidades. Los estudiantes de la clase Extensión Comunitaria van a dar una charla a cada grupo sobre la importancia de reforestación y la manera para plantar y mantener los arbolitos. Después, los estudiantes van a trabajar juntos con los grupos para plantar los arbolitos. Estoy tratando a conseguir las herramientas y el transporte ahorita. Pero si todo sigue el plan, debemos terminar esta actividad en dos semanas.


Pues, esto es más o menos todo que he hecho desde yo vine. Pensado en el futuro, me gustaría estar muy involucrada en el programa que estamos formando en la Sierra de Agalta. Hasta ahora, no había nadie de la universidad enfocado en este parque, mientras tenemos bastantes personas trabajando en el Rio Plátano. Por eso, creo que puedo estar de más valor en la Sierra de Agalta que en el Rio Plátano. También, el acceso es mejor en la Sierra de Agalta y no tendría que depender tanto en el transporte de la universidad. También, me gustaría continuar trabajar con nuestra finca ecológica. Yo di una charlita sobre las oportunidades para capacitar pequeño productores en el regional safety and security meeting. Varios voluntarios quieren traer grupos a la finca para recibir capacitación en producción orgánica y abono.


Okay, eso es todo. Gracias por todo su apoyo. Y también gracias por leer este reportaje en español. Espero que los errores no estén tan grandes y todo esté claro. Por favor, hábleme de cualquier duda que tenga sobre mis actividades.


Saludes!


Ruth
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I've been in Catacamas for a month, and I think I have to send a little report about my activities this month and my future plans. In general, I focused this month on the activity to meet university professors and projects that already exist there. Also, I tried to involve myself in the communities of Ben and Josh.

Specifically, I conducted the following activities. I taught a module to 28 students of the department of natural resources at the university, as part of the Community Extension class. I gave 7 classes for 3 hours each. I facilitated discourses on environmental problems in communities of students, their suggestions for improvements, and the difficulties in trying to change the actions of adults. We also work on the ecological farm that the university has. We are building a botanical garden as part of the farm with plants in a Pech community. I went once to the community, Subirana, to bring plants for the garden.


Another activity at the university was to gather information about the schools and communities in the buffer zone of the Sierra de Agalta. The university has a biological education program in Culmí, focused on the buffer zone of Rio Platano. This program has two years of success, and the founders want to give us money to start a copy of the program in the Sierra de Agalta. We are writing a proposal now before we get started farms in January. So for this task, I went to Talgua for a week, and traveled with Josh and Callisto to 7 communities in the buffer zone. I met all the teachers in those schools, and I gathered the information and data about schools in an interview, which I sent my counterpart. Also, we form a list of all the other schools in the area, and I will seek data on those in the district office this week.


In Las Jaguas, Ben and I started a group of young women. Around 20 women were involved, and we have meetings every Saturday at 2. I've gone to meetings and I have planned with the leaders. This month, we formed a board of directors, made pizzas, and formed a football team. We are planning a raffle to get enough money to take a tourist or educational tour, possibly in the caves of Talgua. We are also planning a reforestation project in the watershed back to the community. The women want to plant trees and learn more about the source of water.


In my last project I worked with three teachers to plan a mini reforestation project. We will do it this week and next. We have a nursery of native trees in the UNA. The manager wants to use plants to make room to plant trees further with students. I visited 3 communities (Guanaja, La Union, and Las Jaguas) and I have two schools and a group of women who are ready to plant trees. We have the space and permission to plant them and the university will give us the plants for free. Also, a larger community contacted us to request trees. We are going to take between 100 and 300 trees to each of these 4 communities. The extension class will give each group a talk about the importance of reforestation and how to plant and maintain trees. Then, students will work together with groups to plant trees. I'm trying to get the tools and transport right now. But if all goes to plan, we will finish this activity in two weeks.


Well, this is more or less everything I've done since I came. Thinking about the future, I want to be very involved in the program we are forming in the Sierra de Agalta. So far, no one from the university has focused on the park, while we have tons of people working in the Rio Platano. So I think I can be of more use in the Sierra de Agalta than in the Rio Platano. Also, access is better in the Sierra de Agalta and I should not have to depend much on the transport of the university. Also, I would like to continue working with our organic farm. I gave a Charlita on training opportunities for small producers in the safety and regional security meeting. Several volunteers want to bring groups to the farm for training in organic farming and composting.

Whew...first week at sight completed

Alright, since I updated last time I have successfully sworn in at the US embassy. I'm a real Peace Corps Volunteer now!!! The last few weeks of training were great. I'm sad to leave all the awesome friends I made, but it's time! This is what we came here for.

So, I have been assigned to work with the Agricultural University in the wild department of Olancho. As the locals say "Olancho, donde entra lo que quiere y sale lo que puede." --where enter those who want to, but leave those who can-- With only three PCV's from my group in the entire department, I thought it might feel a little lonely, but I have two awesome PAM volunteers right up the mountain, and it's my job to go visit them, get to know their sights, and involve university students in extension work up there. Pretty awesome job description.

In this first week, I've been getting to know the faculty in my department (natural resource management). I've been assisting with one of the university modulos where we've been developing a Pech botanical garden out on our demonstration organic farm. The Pech community we are working with is about three hours away, but I got to travel up there last Friday to help bring down more plants for the garden. It's in the beginning phases still, but we've put in about 120 native plants used by the community, and we'll eventually have it filled with 1500. The organic farm is also still in the beginning phases, but it's also my job to help them get established. We are trying right now to get the chickens, rabbits, and goats into pens so they stop eating our plants and start producing usable manure.

I've also started working with a women's group out in one of the aldeas with another PCV. We successfully had our first meeting, and I'll be going back out tomorrow to brainstorm ideas with the group's leaders. Spanish is coming along too. I was pretty intimidated to have to speak and teach here at the university, but the students and the faculty have been awesome and patient with my Spanish level. As always, I still believe the key learning Spanish is watching "Soy Tu Duena!" the best telenovela available in Honduras. Reading books in Spanish also might help, but watching the novela is certainly more fun and less work ;)

I was also excited to get a chance to go meet one of the local bird experts. He lives up the mountain in an area still forested (cuz he bought and protected it), where people still see white faced monkeys, jaguarundies, and tucans. I'll have to work my way up there as much as possible.

Alright friends, that's all for now. Stay tuned to see what happens next!

Love, Ruth

Week 8 of training...where it starts getting more fun :)

Hondurans love to dance. So do I. Our group of Peace Corps trainees danced the Waka Waka twice this week, and our community neighbors danced some slightly more traditional danzas in exchange. The Peace Corps likes to do cultural exchange events, so we took these opportunities to also share Red Rover, watermelon seed spitting, and the electric slide. Definitely the best parts of US culture :)

Images from Rio Negro, a small community near the top of Montaña Comayagua. We visited a women´s cooperative which makes purses out of chip bags and bracelts out of magazine paper. The co-op was super lucky to find a buyer in the US, and they now export all of their products. We also hiked up into the national park which is where the waterfall-fern tree picture came from. I saw a flock of 20 oropendulas there, and I was hoping to see a Tucan, but I never found one. The fruit in my hand is cardimum. One of the local coffee farms tried to diversify into spice production. They haven´t yet found a buyer in Honduras however.

Adios amigos. Hope you are all doing well where ever you currently find yourselves. Come visit me in Honduras soon!

More exciting pictures!

Tree Planting Adventures: Last week we went to ESNACIFOR, the forestry school here in Honduras. We spent the morning planting two types of multi-use trees up on the deforested hillsides surrounding the school. The sapling here is a Nim tree, which repels mosquitoes, fixes nitrogen, and can be used for forage and firewood. The back side of the hill we are on had been replanted with trees three years earlier. This part of Honduras is pretty dry, so those trees were only about four feet tall. We planted our trees in the middle of the rainy season, so we are hoping for pretty good survival.

Family garden project: Part of our Field Based Training includes starting a family garden with at our homestay. Last Sunday the kids and I ran around the neighborhood to borrow a pick mattock and a hoe, tore up the front yard, and made three little raised beds. Tomorrow we are building a psuedo-fence out of spiny branches to keep the chicken out. We planted carrots, tomatoes, chiles, lettuce, and beans.


Other random adventures:

This was after I got caught on the mountain in a huge storm and collected charred firewood. Dirty and soaked.

The friend of my homestay brother shot a White-Vented Euphonia with a sling shot, and tried to make it his pet. Here it is in my hand going into shock. It died the next day :( 

Dona Angela bought one of our chickens this morning to make soup. I'm so glad she killed this one. He crowed right outside my window every morning starting at 4 am. Maybe now I'll get some more sleep :)