Presenting Sustainability from all angles

July 4th, 2017

Today was a day filled with the sharing of information from many different people and perspectives. The day started simply with preparing the green space beside the CECAM for the meetings and presentations of the day. Attending these activities were some of the UPEMOR staff, a representative from the Galiana campus of UPN, Chris Adam and Gisela Frias from Dawson College itself, and Jorge Viana, Jorge Mesa, and Isbael Lopez Roman from La Prepatoria Tres Marias. It was amazing how four schools came together to talk about sustainability, sharing ideas and projects.

 

From left to right: Chris Adam, Jorge Mesa, Jimmy, Annie, Maggie, and Jade. It was impossible to get everyone to smile!

 

To start this conversation of sustainability we started with an interesting activity. Valeria Davila had all of us put on a blindfold and hold hands. We were guided by Gisela, although still blindfolded, she followed Valeria’s voice in order to get to our destination. We walked slow and steady, relying on our communication skills, hearing, smelling, and tactile sense to understand where we were. Our team work was quite flawless and made the experience that much better. It was definitely a test of communication, trust, as well as a test for our non-visual senses.

We were lead like this all the way to the large aquatic garden near the entrance of the campus. As soon as we reached the area with this garden we could all feel the difference. Simply stepping from the concrete onto the soft cool grass gave us a new sense of comfort and security. Even without seeing the scene, we could feel the change in the atmosphere; we heard the birds, the crickets, the frogs, the breeze through the trees… it was an extreme difference compared to the parking lot we had walked through previously. Once we were allowed to remove our blindfolds, we coupled all the sounds and smells of the scene with the visual aspect. Our next activity was to, in teams of two, discuss what this aquatic garden signifies and why it is important. Before starting, Valeria informed us about how Morelos is a state of Mexico that is quite dry. This made our conversation about the importance of the aquatic garden that much more interesting. The fact that we learned all of this in an activity shows that “the academic environment, characterized as promoting “professional and content oriented” forms of learning (Blake and Sterling, 2011)” (Hoover, Harder, 4) is not always the solution when learning about sustainability.  Today, our form of learning was very much interactive with the environment.

 

The lot we navigated before reaching the aquatic garden

 

We discussed how beautiful the space is, how it made us feel at peace and comfortable. We also spoke about the more scientific impact of the aquatic garden; the biodiversity, the fact that allows a wet area for the animals who need it in such a dry state. However, even this scientific side is still tied to the emotional and spiritual implications of this area. It is because of all the animals, plants and insects present that people feel at peace and comfortable. For me, it also feels hopeful as it is an example of progress and if this space can exist here, it can definitely exist in other places as well.

The next activity was quite interesting as well. It was almost like a little educational game where everyone had a dyed sponge and a container. We all formed a circle around a bin of clear water. The size of our sponges dictated whether we represented an animal, a house, or an industry (the sizes going from smallest to biggest respectively). The point of the game was to demonstrate the effects that these units have on a body of water (the bin being that body of water). As Valeria spoke of the growth of a community and how the different members of the community used the body of water, we would all step up to the bin as she called to us and dipped our dyed sponges in, contaminating the water. It was clear to see the change in color and therefore the symbolic contamination being done to the water. The amount of water also decreased because of all the water that the sponges carried out of the bin. By the end of the activity, we had drained the bin to half of its original contents and the water was black; all this from a few animals, houses, and industries. The game was a perfect example of how much damage we can make although we are usually so unaware of the problem. It was a perfect segway to the leading presentation on the captation and filtration of water.

In fact, the very first presentation after our lunch break was mine. I was given the task of demonstrating and explaining how to create a rainwater captation and filtration system which we had done last Thursday at CECAM. Seeing as how I explained in my last post how we built this system I will simply talk about the other information included in my presentation. What I found very interesting (and thank you to Chris Adam for inspiring me) was the fact that Canada holds one-fifth of the Earth’s freshwater and we are extremely lucky to have it. As opposed to Mexico, where according to Toño’s thesis, there are certain regions where water is extremely scarce. All throughout the country water is bottled and bought at the grocery store. Whereas in Canada, when we are thirsty, we simply bring our cup to the tap in our house and fill it up. The difference is startling and although this rainwater captation and filtration system takes a step to solve this problem, we in Canada can learn from this as well. Although we have a lot of water, we must learn to protect it. This presentation and workshop is one I hope to give at Dawson as it is a simple way to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly. It is this sharing of sustainable information that would hold this true: “[Student inters] their work has been essential for implementation of sustainability solutions” (Brown, Hamburger, 92).

Me giving my presentation on assembling a rainwater captation and filtration system

 

Me giving my presentation on assembling a rainwater captation and filtration system

 

After my presentation we had a group discussion with Valeria where we spoke about the different situations of water availability in Mexico. An interesting point that was brought up was how the rainwater travels. The three different schools attending, La Preparatoria Tres Marias, UPN, and UPEMOR are all at very different altitudes, La Preparatoria Tres Marias being the highest. When looking at the path of the rainwater, this would mean that La Preparatoria Tres Marias would be recieving the cleanest water as when the rainwater travels down, it picks up more contaminants. Although it’s a simple question of location, it is an important thing to think about when filtrating water.

After this interesting discussion, Toño spoke about his thesis on rainwater captation and filtration. He had some interesting facts regarding the amount of rainwater captured on campus. Presently, CECAM has two bins that capture rainwater and, in the months of May and June, they captured 26000 cubic meters of rainwater. According to Toño’s estimations, that is nothing compared to what they could be capturing. If the whole campus were to be involved with the captation system, where all the rooftops lead the rainwater into one area, they could capture up to 5000 liters of rainwater in a single day. The fact that the school has the potential to capture so much is great but the question then is how to filter it all effectively. There is more research and steps to be taken here but all this information, the presentation, and our discussion was a great starting point.

 

The whiteboard covered with facts from Tono’s research

 

This concludes my very last entry for our stay at UPEMOR as well as our stay here in Mexico. I will be back for one last post after we return home but until then, we will be enjoying our last days here. Leaving is very emotional as we all feel like Mexico is our second home and we’ve learned so much here. We can’t wait to share our experience when we get back home and we are excited to come back here when we can!

Thanks for reading,

Vanessa

Striving for sustainability at the UPN campuses

¡Hola!

Today was a day of car drives (July 3). We were picked up from UPEMOR at 9:45, and brought to UPN (Universidad Pedagogica Nacional) to see a presentation of their projects.

Once we arrived, we met with Gisela Frias, Chris Adam, and Luisa Montes. After a warm greeting, we listened to Nohemi Moreno and Antonio Sarmina Ayala presentation, where they spoke of the importance of their worm compost system.

Worm compost at the UPN campus

They started off by explaining why they chose a worm as their mascot, which turns out to be because that is the main method of composting on campus. They showed us a knitted version of their mascot, and how it is a universal symbol that can overcome any language barrier. They explained how the worms introduced to the container turn the food waste into soil, and that to concentrate the worms to one side of the container to easily remove soil from one end, they place the food waste at another end.

Making a hole in the center of the compost to set the organic material in the container

One of the worms found while sifting the compost

The school also uses ficus tree leaves (found on campus) to cover the compost to retain the proper amount of humidity. Once the compost has turned into soil, it is then sifted to retrieve any worms that may have been taken out of the container, and are then returned to their bin. Rocks and twigs are also sifted out as they are not necessarily beneficial to a plants growth. Eventually, the school wishes to use the soil to create a medicinal herb garden.

Sifting the compost over a wheelbarrow

Inspecting the compost to see if any worms remain

After the presentation, we got back in to the minibus and headed towards the UPN Galeana campus. Once we arrived, we took a seat under a tree in the shade to avoid the exasperating heat that we had just walked into. And we thought UPEMOR was hot! We were introduced to the group of students who had participated in UPNs Environmental Culture and Education for Sustainable Development course, which is an optional course seeing as the university is a pedagogical school.

Students and faculty involved in the sustainable projects at the school

The majority of the courses offered at the university are not environment based, meaning that many of the following projects are extracurricular activities, and projects that the students are interested in and therefore develop on.

The first project we were shown on their campus was the reutilisation of tires. This was not the first time we had seen this project done at a school, but it was the first time we had seen this level of creativity. The lady who headed the project explained how her husband worked in repairing tires, and how everytime he needed to dispose of the, there would be a fee to pay. This, in addition to the horrible backlash burning and disposing of tires plays on our environment, encouraged her to take action. She had begun painting and using motorcycle, car, and eventually, she wants to use tractor tires to create gardens and decorations. She told us how 300 tires are burned every day in Galeana, and how if they are not burnt, and simply left in landfills, they serve as a perfect breeding ground for mosquitos, which also pose a problem in central american countries. This kind of recycling promotes not only environmental sustainability, but also a social and economic kind. Because of the recycling, garage owners could potentially save money by recycling their tires instead of paying to have them disposed of.

Examples of the projects done by reusing tires

Next we were shown their aquatic garden. As soon as we saw it, we noticed the striking similarity it had to that of the CECAMs. It turns out that Sergio and Valeria actually had a strong influence o the pond, and were there to help build it. The students at the UPN work to maintain it, and eventually, wish to bring home some algae once it reproduces to start an aquatic garden of their own. The pond itself is made similarly to that at UPEMOR, with a tractor tire as a base and a tarp as the membrane. The pond is a powerful method of demonstrating how what we associate to be waste can turn into a green space, housing species that otherwise would not be there. The fish found in the pond are actually guppies, with each fish requiring 50L of water to survive. Because of this, the large fish are removed, while the smaller ones stay behind. Inside, there are several species of microorganisms which feed the fish. The sick fish are also removed, as they can pose a threat to the survival of the other species if they spread their diseases.

Aquatic garden at the UPN filled with algae to help oxygenate the water

After we were taken to the medicinal herb garden. Like the others we had seen before, they were growing all sorts of useful herbs. The woman who presented to us explained how she was currently getting over the Zika virus, which is a common issue in south and central america. Citronella, a common herb found in Morelos, when treated properly, serves as a mosquito repellant. The social impact the garden has and could have on the community is large, as in preventing illnesses such as Zika, or finding remedies for ailments a natural way, provides the community a more natural alternative to pharmaceuticals. The garden is also culturally sustainable, as the women in charge of the garden obtain traditional knowledge from their neighbors and family members, which means they are learning and passing on traditional information.

“Graden for health”: Entrance of the medicinal herb garden

The garden was filled with medicinal herbs and covered with a black netted mesh to capture the heat

The text ʻOrganizing for Sustainabilityʼ written in 2012 by William M. Brown and Michael W. Hamburger mentions that: “campus and community provide a wealth of oppurtunities for research, teaching, service learning, and outreach to enrich the educational and civic mission of the university and its faculty , staff, and students” (93). In the medicinal plant project, the students used the knowledge from the community to transform plant into products with medicinal propreties. A student told us that she went from door to door to ask her neighboors about medicinal plant  so that she could share that knowledge with the campus and make useful products. The connection between community and campus is particularly important since we can learn as much from our community then from our teachers at school. Also, the parternship with one of the communityʼs nearby garage was advantageous for both parties; the garage  was saved from spending fees for the disposal of the tires and the school reused materials that would otherwise pollute the environment.

A sustainable flower basket made with a car tire

We then were brought back to our seats in the shade to listen to a presentation on the glass work done on the campus. The campus currently has one glass cutter, which is made of bricks, wood, and cables, which are heated and can cut through the glass. However, the goal of the student affiliated with the project is to obtain another cutter, which works through Vitrofusion. Vitrofusion is a method of glass work which allows the worker to mesh and combine different types of glass into one solid head through melting them and combining them. The student showed us the work she had done, and the pieces she had created.This glass work provides an opportunity for the community to create their own glass pieces, and potentially sell them to produce a little more income. Environmentally, this project is also very interesting. Glass is a high contaminant, and the chemicals used to treat it when we recycle it is horrible for the environment. Also, disposed glass poses a safety threat, as shattered glass can severally harm children and even adults. Therefore, finding a creative way to repurpose glass is important, and this method is fantastic.

Examples of artworks done by the students with the glass cutter

Next we were shown two different stationary bicycles. One was connected to a water pump (which was previously broken) to pedal and pump water into the greenhouse which houses the medicinal herbs. The second bicycle was attached to a blender, where every 1 rotation of the bicycle wheel transferred to 60 rotations of the blender blades. We were treated to smoothies, and had the opportunity to test out the bicycles. These fantastic ideas promote not only sustainability but also excersise, which is great for the health of everyone on the campus.

Stationary bike used to pump water into the medicinal herb garden

Leith Sharpʼs text ʻGreen Campuses: the road from little victories to systematic transformationʼ published in 2002 states that: “students have much more potential power to catalyze and drive organizational transformation that they believe is possible” (138).  We can see this statement is true when we look at the students from the Galeana campus who put much efforts in creating new sustainable projects at the campus. They found innovative ways to change their institution and therefore inspire the staff, students and administration at the campus to be more sustainable by seeing simple and innovative projects made by students from their own campus. Spreading knowledge about medicinal herbs, making lamps out of wine bottles and making a smoothie powered by a bicycle are all projects that were established  and created by students as part of an extracurricular activity.

Jade powering the blender by cycling: a new sustainable way to make a smoothie

Lastly, we were shown the compost on campus, which is done similarly to that of UPEMOR. The waste is added, and then turned. The groundskeeper on the campus runs the initiative but receives a lot of help from students and staff.

Structure used to sift the compost at the campus

In 2009, Jennifer McMillin and Rob Dyballʼs text ʻDeveloping a Whole-of-Univeristy Approach to Educating for Sustainability: Linking Curriculum, Research and Sustainable Campus Operationsʼ state that:  “The campus itself is the most readily available laboratory for hands-on projects, and acts as a shadow curriculum for the students to apply to the campus what they learn in the classroom (…) By engaging students in the operational aspects of the university, a powerful learning experience emerges from beyond the classroom” (58). The students participating in UPNʼs Environmental Culture and Education for Sustainable Development course learn about sustainability in theory and in practice. Creating projects with the knowledge they gain in the classroom proves to be a powerful and different way to learn. Engaging students beyond the classroom and using the campus as a laboratory equips the students with a better understanding of sustainabilty since it is applicable to multiple aspects: economic, social and cultural.

Students explaining their project about transforming medicinal herbs in products

To sum, it was amazing to see the level of involvement, and the dedication to their initiatives that UPN demonstrated. We cannot wait to bring back all these ideas to Dawson!

¡Hasta luego!

Maggie and Jade

 

Channeling the Farmer Within in the Name of Sustainability

Friday, June 30th, 2017

We spent the beginning of our day composting at UPEMOR. Annie’s last blog gave great detail on the process of composting and the differences between composting at UPEMOR and composting at Dawson. Annie is most definitely the expert of composting at Dawson, and after spending my first semester under her mentorship helping with composting on a weekly basis: I can echo her statements of just how drastically different the composting is between our two campuses. As a frequent volunteer during my first semester, I will make comment on the actual physical effort required for composting. At Dawson, the process was very simple and clean in comparison to UPEMOR. We would go to the cafeteria and collect buckets of organic material that we would carry through the cafeteria and out to the theatre gardens. We would then grab a wheelbarrow to dump the compost in and chop it up with various tools. This accelerates the decomposing process. Once the organic material has been chopped into small enough pieces it is transferred to one of Dawson’s tumble bins. Wood chips are added and a couple of turns of the bin will do the trick. Dawson’s compost process is tucked away and tidy, and the odour is regulated by the bins. Because of our small quantity of compost, the process doesn’t take nearly as long as at UPEMOR. UPEMOR’s compost requires a lot more manual labour. The compost is put into four piles on concrete and is covered by a large plastic sheet. The smell and size of the compost piles is the first thing you notice. To successfully turn and add to the compost you must make a hole in each of the piles to let them air out. Compost is added to one of the holes and then they are all turned over into piles again. This requires us to dig with shovels repeatedly. The quantity of compost is huge compared to that of Dawson and consequently requires a great deal more in effort.

Geared up and hard at work

Composting magic

After composting we were asked to plant seeds for germination. We planted spinach, lettuce, escarola and onion as well as four plant species: Mercadela, Cleome rosa, Nube and Zinnia Peppermint Stick. Instead of filling the seed beds with regular soil we instead filled them with compost! An interesting connection can be made here. The composting process we had just assisted in had previously produced a quantity of soil that was then used in our next task of the day. This demonstrates the impact sustainability can have as well as its influence on future sustainability initiatives. Everything is connected and every element of sustainability works to support the other, directly or indirectly.

Seed bed full of compost soil and some seeds we used for planting

The next task assigned to us was to make rows of soil next to the CECAM for corn to be planted. This was difficult work! Maggie and I shovelled soil produced from compost into a wheelbarrow and rolled it over to the planting site. Vanessa, Jade and Annie were busy at work cutting grass and depositing the soil into rows. The grass was so tall and in such abundance that Maggie and I joined in the effort to cut it down. This required a lot of physical effort. Between the digging, Maggie getting attacked by fire ants, and cutting down the grass using a machete and clippers: we were pretty worn out by the end of the day! Sergio later told us that this patch of grass grows really fast and requires constant maintenance. He mentioned that a solution to this problem would be to use the slash and burn method which consists of the cutting and burning of plants to create a field. When questioning the integrity of sustainability in this situation, we can ask ourselves about the degree of impact that slash and burn would have on the nearby ecosystem.

Channeling the farmer within

There are only eight day left for us here in Mexico. It’s starting to dawn on all of us that our trip is slowly coming to an end. This trip has been the adventure and learning experience of a lifetime and it will be sad to say goodbye to it. The five weeks we’ve spent here have flown by but have definitely taken their toll on us. Mexico quickly became our normal and our home.

I enjoy taking the time to reflect on how this trip has affected me personally as it’s an integral part to the success of the internship. As much as possible, we’re trying to make bonds and connections with the people and our families here as well as the heart of the country and the schools we partner with.

Next week will be my last blog post for the 2017 Sustainable Campuses Initiative Internship in Mexico. I would like to say thanks to those who have been following our journey. We hope you have gotten some inspiration to think sustainably or maybe to travel and experience a different culture.

Until next time,

Jimmy

 

The caption and filtration of rainwater

June 29th 2017

Today we worked on the rainwater caption and filtration project at CECAM. Before starting on the actual building portion of the project, we took the time to sit down and discuss the idea behind it. This project is done in the hopes of filtering rainwater enough to use it for washing your hands, taking a shower, or watering the plants. Using this rainwater as opposed to tap water or bottled water is very sustainable. By using the resources made readily available to us by the Earth we can reduce our consumption of water from other sources. This project is so simple yet so effective. Although this project is only one part of the wide variety of projects taking place at the campus it is nonetheless important: “It is evident that transformation will only come about when a large number of people set up different priorities in both the large and the small areas of the university” (Sharp, 133). Therefore without these projects, there would be no transformation of sustainability.

The original rainwater container

The system at CECAM before today was simply a pipe beside the roof of the building that catches the rainwater that glides off the roof and guides it into a container. Capturing the rainwater in this way is the first half of the system, the second half is the filtration container. The container that the water is lead into is what we worked on today. To filter the water as it exits the bin, it has to flow through various materials that capture different particles existing in the rainwater.

Firstly, we were shown how the filtration system would work and which materials we would be using. At the bottom of the container would be the tube that leads the clean water out, covering this are pieces of fabric that filter the smallest things out of the water (like bacteria and other microorganisms). Above this is a layer of sand, following gravel of increasing size and finally the red volcanic rocks that are native to Mexico. These volcanic rocks are quite interesting as they filter, not only the larger objects like leaves and insects but also smaller objects due to the pores that they have.

Before putting the filtration system together, we first had to clean the materials. To do this we filled the bins containing each material with water, mixed it, emptied them, and repeated this process multiple times. To then dry them, we placed them out on a tarp in the sun to dry for a few hours.

Us getting ready to clean all the materials

The materials drying in the sun

Once they were dry we began assembling the filter. As a team, we collected the materials, moved them to the container and filled them in in order. We assembled the large container used for the regular caption of rainwater and we also assembled another filtration system using a large water bottle as a demonstration. The goal is to pass on the knowledge of this rainwater filtration system in order to pass on the message of sustainability!

Collecting the materials

The filtration container

At the end of our day we went on a little trip with the English Club at UPEMOR. Although not all the students were able to attend, we enjoyed a lovely sushi dinner with quite a few of them. It was a great chance for them to practice their english, for us to practice our spanish, and for our two cultures to mingle. It was such an interesting yet simple outing where we got to engage in the social aspect of our trip and of sustainability. Through our talks we hope we encouraged some students to help out with the sustainable initiatives at their school, “campus sustainability appears to grow best with nurturing from a diverse and comprehensive group of stakeholders” (Brown, Hamburger, 86). Perhaps if some of them get involved the mission of sustainability at UPEMOR will be made even stronger.

Thanks for reading,

Vanessa

COMPOSTING: The Mexico Edition

Hola amigos, Annie here! Another wonderful day in Mexico has come and gone and I am very excited to share this special blog post with you all regarding our composting experiences here at UPEMOR!

Now, as those of you who know me most probably know, I have been heavily involved in the composting project at Dawson for the past year or so, to the point where some of my friends even refer to me as the Compost Queen jokingly! When I heard we would be composting here in Mexico, I was overwhelmed with joy and excitement, eager to experience their process of the same initiative we mirror at Dawson!

Here at UPEMOR, every garbage bin is connected to a trash sorting system that INCLUDES a compost section at every station, which I found completely admirable!

 

The waste sorting stations at UPEMOR (these bad boys are all over the place!)

 

We at Dawson are hoping to adopt a similar system in the coming years that includes having compost bins readily accessible all throughout the college; this was the main purpose of our composting initiative we piloted last fall and winter semester! At Dawson we compost in one out of two fashions, depending on the season: in the winter, we collect our compost from the cafeteria and select departments and dispose of the waste with the help of an external organization, Compost Montreal, and for the fall and summer months, we compost on campus, using these amazing tumble compost bins manufactured by Jora Compost.

Myself with one of the four Tumble Compost bins at Dawson

Jimmy composting at Dawson (he was actually one of our regular composters during our fall pilot last year!)

Dawson’s internal compost bins

Coming here to UPEMOR, I knew that their composting method would differ from ours from a previous conversation I had had with one of their interns that came to Montreal a couple months prior, Sergio, so I was relatively prepared for what I was getting into mentally, but I was in no way ready for the physical labour we would be getting ourselves into!

Despite lacking the actual tumble structure we had to facilitate our composting way, the processes were quite simple: hack the compost collection to increase surface area so the organic material would break apart faster, add to the pile, add carbon in the form of woodchips and/or dead branches, and finally, turn your pile to let it aerate. Now, you can imagine that turning the pile when in a tumbling bin would be easier said than done, and honestly, it truly is, especially when comparing it to how it’s done here in Mexico!

We first showed up and geared up in preparation, swapping our shoes for boots, put compacting belts on to lessen the chances of throwing our backs out with the heavy lifting and bending, and putting on some lovely face masks and gloves to protect ourselves from the lovely smell of the decomposing fruits that were the main ingredient in the university’s compost recipe!

Maggie, Jade and I gearing up for the composting experience of a lifetime (no lie)

There were four piles of compost, and Toño, our composting expert, and friend, explained that we add to one pile for a series of four weeks, each pile still needs turning for another 2 months after for the composting process to be complete.

Mount Everest 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the compost piles.

Similar to how we do it at Dawson, UPEMOR adds to and turn their piles three days a week, leaving them time in between each composting day to properly allow the process to work most effectively. The first remark we noticed was how much steam and heat were being emitted from these piles, as well as the smell — it was beyond anything we could ever compare it to from our experiences at Dawson!

I think it important to note that composting is a process that, when in the right proportions, doesn’t have to smell horrible! The vile smell often associated with composting is primarily due to the high concentrations of nitrates added to the mix, which is often represented by greens, fruits, and other vegetables. What often balance out the smell is the added carbon, which is often added in as dead twigs or wood pellets, however, the problem with the carbon is if you add too much, the decomposition process will heavily slow, and, in some cases, could even halt your progress substantially! Given the amount of fruit the college has, it is only natural that there is a noticeable aroma, which is also the case for the compost bins at Dawson, however, our benefit is that the Tumble bins successfully contain the smell in their air-tight insulation…that is, until you have to open it.

Da compost goods are full of nitrogen-ie goodnesses

It took us a good while to turn the piles, almost an hour and a half to two hours long, and let me tell you, in this heat, you can best believe you are sweating up a storm in the process.

The most beautiful aspect of this project, which is something we share both at UPEMOR and at Dawson, is the full cycle process of the composting at our college. The finished process successfully is able to find its way back into our gardens, to help nourish and flourish the medicinal plants and coming harvest of vegetables, which I find to be the most rewarding and truly beautiful aspect of this whole experience!

Me, emptying out the first batch of Dawson’s compost soil into our Three Sisters Garden last fall

I consider myself very fortunate and happy to have experienced their way of composting here, especially since this project is really dear to me and has been for quite some time now! I look forward to seeing how we can better our system at our college and how we can learn to mirror our partnering university in making composting a more widely accessible practice at our college for our whole community!

Until next time,
Annie

Peace out from the Compost Crew

Planting Trees for Sustainability

¡Hola a todos!

Today (June 26) was the big day; the day for reforestation. As we arrived, we were set to work by placing chairs and cleaning up around the CECAM for the ceremony. Once everything was all set up, the students, faculty and invited guests started to settle into their seats. After a welcome, several invited guests spoke of the importance of the reforestation initiative on the campus, as well as all the positive impacts it will have. The trees that we planted will not only take CO2 from the environment, and transform it into breathable O2 but also attract biodiversity both in terms of flora and fauna. The trees planted in the parking lot will produce shade for the parked cars. These newly planted trees will also provide a canopied path for students to get to class, to keep them out of the sun. Trees and nature, in general, have shown to relieve stress, and therefore help performance in academics, as well as improve wellness.

The ceremony taking place outside at the CECAM

In the text ‘Developing a Whole-of -University Approach to Educating for Sustainability: Linking Curriculum, Research and Sustainable Campus Operations’ written by Jennifer McMillin and Rob Dyball in 2009, it is mentioned that it is especially important in education for sustainable development to ”[demonstrate] to students the connections between theory and practice so that they are able to recognize the relationship to their studies to the campus itself and to the broader world”(57). In the ceremony, students from UPEMOR, mainly from the environmental engineering program, were taught the connections between the act of reforesting and all the positive impact this sustainable initiative will have in terms of attracting biodiversity on campus and also by improving the students’ academic success. This ceremony had the role of teaching the importance and the value of reforestation by using the UPEMOR campus as a practice field where students could make the connections with their studies and to the campus itself.

Learning the importance of reforestation with guest speaker

After the ceremony, Valeria split us up into eight groups for the eleven o’clock planting session. We were grouped with students from UPEMOR as well as staff, which allowed us to meet new people and to connect ourselves to their community. We were given designated zones to plant where we had previously placed the tree indicators. Corresponding to those flags, we planted the trees which we carried from the CECAM.

Planting a tree where a flag identifier was before

In the research text  ‘What lies beneath the surface? The hidden complexities of organizational change for sustainability in higher education’, written by Elona Hoover and Marie K. Harder in 2014, states that ”administration, faculty, students and facility staff collectively [act] as change for sustainability initiatives” (6). In the reforestation initiative, we could see that this statement was true: the staff and students at the campus joined hands to participate in an activity that will benefit not only their well-being but also decrease their ecological footprint. The staff needs the help of the students and students need the help of the staff. One cannot exist without the other to accomplish and achieve sustainable actions that will benefit everyone in the long run.

Student and staff helping in reforesting the campus

We then took a short break at around one thirty and prepared for the next planting session at three o’clock. Once the students started arriving, we showed them where we would be planting, and how to securely plant the trees. We used shovels and pickaxes and other tools to build holes even in the hardest of places (places filled with rocks). The UPEMOR campus planted a grand total of 278 trees! This great effort given by the students and staff proved the commitment this university has towards environmental sustainability. Everyone gave their 100%, and were very willing to get involved. This level of participation on the part of the students is something we see so rarely in Canada, but so greatly here. Everyone is more than willing to help out, and their efforts are shown in the completion of initiatives like this reforestation one.

Part of the eleven o’clock group partaking in the reforestation

Written in 2012 by William M.Brown and Michael W. Hamburger, the text ‘Organizing for Sustainability’ mentions that  ”Aside from the most obvious way to engage students, through their academic coursework, students can readily engage with the organization and governance of campus sustainability” (92). Students from the environmental engineering were the main volunteer students in this sustainable initiative since they have a class project related to it. It is a good way to show them that what they learn in class has a meaning outside of class too and it is also a way to participate in an initiative that is directly linked to their career path.

Jimmy and Jade with other students of the environmental engineering program 

After a long day, we went up to the linguist section of the campus to sit in a French class. We were asked to join, seeing as we all speak French, and it could be a great opportunity for both the students and ourselves to connect. This is the second time we get invited to a language class, the first time being at the UAEM to an English class. We see these as opportunities to spread our knowledge and to make connections with people who are studying language as a way to branch out.
All in all, it was a very rewarding day.

¡Hasta proxima!

Jade & Maggie

Shook by the Biodiversity

Friday, June 23rd, 2017

On Friday, us interns went on a little field trip! We had the opportunity to visit a protected nature reserve in Tlayacapan that is about an hour and a half drive from Cuernavaca. The reserve was absoultely stunning in its beauty. Dense forest surrounded us and a freshwater stream flowed down the mountain. There were also cattle and horses near the base of the mountain. We hiked up the mountain and stopped every now and then just to take in the nature that was all around us. The freshwater was impressively clear and we could not resist the urge to relieve ourselves from the intense heat by splashing our faces in it!

Our visit to the nature reserve was an example of ecotourism. This was an opportunity to experience another side of nature and learn about the environment by completely emersing ourselves in it. There is no other experience that really equates to being in nature, breathing that clean air, seeing the green foliage, and taking in the natural beauty that exists all around you. Its a great reminder of the importance of environmentalism and sustainable inititatives: the goal is to do work that can help to protect places like the Tlayacapan nature reserve in order to conserve it for future generations. Seeing so much life running through the reserve showcased some impressive biodiversity.

Along our hike we discovered a cave that was home to some bats! The cave was incredible to walk in and explore. It is safe to say we have never experienced anything like it.

It is through days like this one that personal connections between ourselves and nature can be made. Environmental stewardship is born out of this connection and the desire to preserve nature that is also held close to our hearts. I believe that taking the time to connect with nature will motivate others to engage in sustainability inititaives. As Leith Sharp puts it in his text Green campuses: the road from little victories to systemic transformation: “the basic social institution is the individual human heart. It is the source of energy from which all social action derives its power and purpose. The more we honor the integrity of that source, the more chance our actions have of reaching and stirring others. But we must first be whole hearted, fully integrated as we set out” (Sharp, L. 2002). People must feel something touch them personally in order to want to take action. Perhaps this is the approach that must be taken instead.

Although they do not do the visit justice, enjoy the pictures of this beautiful reserve!

 

A flowered tree, tree growing over a rock and the freshwater stream

Just some of the incredible biodiveristy

Four out of the five interns posing over a waterfall (upper right), the cave we discovered (bottom photo)

Mountain landscape view at the end of our hike

Mountains, cattle and horses!

Thanks Annie for the title of todays blog.

 

Until next time,

 

Jimmy

 

 

 

Leaving our ‘label’ on sustainability

¡Hola amigos!

(June 22nd) The day started off normal… everyone running a little late. 

Jade and I started out be finishing off the making of the tree identifiers, which will be used in the reforestation project.

Tree identificators

 

After the others arrived, we worked with Toño, Valeria, Chuchito and Sergio to move all the trees that we plan on planting on Monday to the front of the CECAM, from the greenhouse out back.

Inside the CECAM greenhouse

 

Trees from the greenhouse

Vanessa holding up some unstable trees

We moved more or less than 200 trees, and from there, Valeria set us out on sorting the trees by species.

List of trees and quantity that we will be planting on Monday

The above species will be planted on Monday. Though the school already has many of these species growing on campus, the addition of the new ones, and even the old, increase the biodiversity on campus. This increase will allow many positive impacts on the campus. As Jade mentioned in her previous article, an increase in biodiversity increase oxygen production, as well as provides a habitat for new species of insects or even mammals. The goals of increasing the biodiversity on campus go hand in hand with sustainability, as it provides a practical way to use what you have to benefit your community and campus. We then used bamboo sticks to separate the species, and then proceeded to count them. The five of us started making labels for the trees, and then stuck these labels to the trees. This identification will help a lot on Monday, as we will be able to quickly find the tree that we need to plant, according to the labels that we placed on Tuesday, and the ones we placed later today.  

Labels for the trees

Labels on the trees

 

 

After labeling the trees, we started mixing fertilizers for the plants in the back of the CECAM. In the mix was coconut fiber, essential minerals (such as phosphorus, and nitrogen, sulfates, and others), compost (made here at the school), and soil also found on school ground.

Left – not fertilized, right – fertilized garden bed

Mixing the components of the fertilizer

This all-natural fertilizer has very positive benefits on the the plants, allowing them to grow at faster rates, and stronger. This all natural choice is a better alternative to chemical fertilizer, as it promotes a sustainable way of inducing plant growth, as well as obtaining materials which come from the Earth and reduces introducing chemicals to the soil. 

 

Afterward, Annie, Jade and Vanessa went with Valeria to place the rest of the tree indicators, while Jimmy and I stayed back at the CECAM to water the trees and to continue working with the fertilizer. 

On the UPEMOR campus, there is a very special edition in terms of sustainability; Maggie. No not me; Maggie the tricycle. This mean of transportation allows students and faculty to carry an abundance of material from one destination to another on the campus. This great alternative supports sustainability, as it does not emit any harmful chemicals as a truck would, and also promotes healthy living (tricycling from one place to another). We use Maggie almost every day, and are amazed by how even small choices, like biking instead of using a truck, are supported on the campus.

Maggie, the tricycle

 

All the while, students from around the University are always around to offer a hand. It’s amazing to see the level of involvement on the students’ part, which greatly impacts the meaningfulness of all these projects. It’s a learning opportunity for the students, and promotes involvement in school projects. To conclude, I’ll leave you with this beautiful quote by Jennifer Mcmillin and Rob Dyball, in their article Developing a Whole-of-University Approach to Educating for Sustainability: Linking Curriculum, Research and Sustainable Campus Operations, ‘Everything that happens at a university and every impact, positive or negative, of University activities, shapes the knowledge, skills, and values of students.’

¡Hasta pronto!

Maggie

Learning about the importance of biodiversity at the UPEMOR campus

June 20th

Today, on our second day at la Universidad Politecnica del Estados de Morelos (UPEMOR), we first started by making flag identifiers for the different types of trees that we will be reforesting next week. We stuck a small orange piece of paper to a wood stick and covered it with transparent tape. We then wrote the names of the different species of trees that we will reforest for example palo de rosa, lluvia de oro and orquidea. Finally, we stuck some flag identifiers in the ground to remember where to plant the different types of trees next Monday.

The flag identifiers we made for the different species of trees

Maggie, Annie and Vanessa in process of making the flag identifiers

After, we walked around the school to identify and number all the trees that were on campus, which was a little more than 300! We would put a yellow tag on the already existing trees and took pictures for the biodiversity album and inventory that will contain all the different species of trees that are on the UPEMOR campus. After, we numbered the trees directly on the trunk, identified the species of trees depending on the leaves and fruits, and found the trees information in the book “Arboles de Cuernevaca, nativos y exoticos, cuia parasu identificacion”. All this information will also be transferred to the biodiversity inventory and album.

Maggie, stiking a yellow paper on the tree to indicate its number and its name

Tree identification and photography help the school better understand the types of tree they have on campus, and to enlarge their knowledge about them. Also, reforesting helps not only to increase the biodiversity on the school grounds but it also helps to increase oxygen production since trees are an important source in converting carbon dioxide to oxygen. It also increases natural pest control and species security for both fauna and flora.  It is important to have biodiversity, in other words, to have different groups of organisms interacting together. An area containing more plant species are more productive and stable than an area with fewer plant species because all organisms are connected to one another.

Planting an orange flag in order to identify the area as a future site for reforestation

Jimmy taking pictures of the tree

In the text “Green campuses: the road from little victories to systemic transformation”, Leith Sharp, from Havard University, states that in order for a university to have successful changes in terms of sustainability, the university sector needs to “expand its core mission of teaching and research to include learning. Universities must become learning organizations, as well as teaching and research institutions” (129). With our trip with Valeria Davila around campus, we learned a lot about the importance of tree identification, biodiversity, and reforestation.  Teachers, like Valeria, provide leadership to create a future generation of people that are aware of our current environmental problems and who are willing to incorporate sustainability in their personal and professional lives.

Palm trees found at the entrance of the campus

I enjoyed my day at the UPEMOR campus and I am excited to see what tomorrow will bring.

Thanks for reading,

Jade

 

First Day at UPEMOR: Meeting Advocates of Change

June 19^th 2017

Today was our very first day at the UPEMOR campus. It was so exciting to meet so many new people and familiar ones as well. All five of us showed up at the school with our matching Dawson t-shirts, labeling us as the new students who were ready for work. The first place we visited was the CECAM.

The interns, Velaria, and the student volunteers in front of the CECAM building.

This is where we saw Valeria Davila, a teacher at the school who we met before when she was visiting Dawson during Earth Week. She was the first one to greet us and she immediately swept us away into the life of UPEMOR. In fact, the first activity we did today was throwing together a birthday party for one of the university students and a very important member of the CECAM group: Chutito.

Jade tying balloons together for the party

The morning was spent in celebration where we ate Mexican cuisine comprised of baked potatoes heaped with mushroom, chile, cheese, and ham. We also enjoyed chocolate cake and jello which, interestingly enough, was cut by first cutting a circle in the center and then slicing the ends.

Cooking the potatoes

Chuchito, the birthday boy, cutting the cake

The cultural engagement we got from simply a couple hours was interesting and also an important part of our internship as well because sustainability includes social and cultural bonds that must be made and sustained. It also showcases our partnership with Mexico! Another good example of this partnership can be seen in our friend Sergio Garcia Bahena. He is a student of environmental engineering at UPEMOR and he actually came to Dawson College in the Fall Semester of 2016 to study and work on our environmental projects. In fact, he worked quite closely with Annie so we were all very excited to see him again.

After the festivities, we all went inside the CECAM to talk about the projects we will be working on in the falling weeks. Valeria distributed the projects in a way that put one of us ‘in charge’ of a project and the others simply collaborating. In any case, the projects were as follows: reforestation, biodiversity, butterfly identification, the categorization of species, and the collection of rain water. We were then given a small tour of the CECAM building and its sustainable aspects. Chuchito showed us the garden beds they have for growing fruits, vegetables, and some medicinal plants as well. Close to these gardens is the rain water container attached to the drain system that leads the rain into this bin. There is also a small pond next to the building where the water from the bathroom filters in. In the pond there are aquatic plants meant to filter this water; similar to the idea that the Preparatoria Tres Marias have for the filteration of their bathroom water as well. We were also shown some portable work stations that run solely on solar energy. The top of these stations have solar panels where the energy is collected and then distributed in electric sockets which you can use to charge your phone!

One of the garden beds and the blue rain water bin (at the end).

A solar powered work station

The pond that filters the bathroom water

After the tour of CECAM we went to the auditorium to give our presentations on the sustainability projects we have at Dawson. The presentations were the same that we gave at the Preparatoria in Tres Marias. The students present were part of the environmental engineering program, therefore our projects were being shared with the people in the community who were most likely to utilize them. They were extremely interested in these new perspectives; “among the most effective aspects of the student internship program is the degree to which campus and community organizations are receptive to student interns.” (William M. Brown and Micheal W. Hamburger, 92). Velaria also gave a short presentation on the internships that they’ve had in the past and what is planned for our present internship. It was a great way to tie together the years that we have been in partnership for these internships.

Annie giving her presentation

Jimmy and Maggie giving their presentation

Jade and I giving our presentation

The presenters and the tentative listeners all posing in the auditorium

After the presentations, we went back to CECAM to clean up the area a bit. Cleaning the solar panels, for example, is an important part of maintenance and it’s also a community effort! The students who frequent CECAM regularly directed us in this activity, they were few but all very passionate about their work. “These individuals are usually central to institutional changes towards sustainability” (Hoover, Harder, 2014) and this is obvious as they’ve already taught us so much. They are all such clear advocates for the cause of sustainability.

And so ends our first day at UPEMOR! The day was full of cultural as well as intellectual exchange. We can’t wait to continue this learning process with all these new and amazing people. I am sure that we will accomplish our goals together.

Until next time,

Vanessa Poirier