What in the nonsense?!: School Gardens

Sunday, June 6, 2010

School Gardens

Time is passing so quickly here in Nicaragua. I have about 5.5 months left! How did that happen? I have been very, very busy lately, juggling my Peace Corps duties, my research project, and some touristy activities that I want to do before I leave.

In the schools I planted a vegetable garden with 7 different classes. Hopefully they turn out better than the gardens we did last year. We planted tomatoes, peppers, carrots, cantaloupe, and a squash called pipian that is delicious. In San Ramon they did a wonderful job building a fence to protect the garden from wondering pigs and occasional cows. Now we just need to hope that no one steals the plants like last year. Below are a few photos of the kids working on the gardens.

5th Grade B

Billin: possibly the smallest 5th grader on the planet, but what he lacks in size he makes up in personality.

5th grade A

4th Grade A

3rd and 4th Grade Mulitigrade

4th Grade A

Yestin

This coming week I am also holding a competition in the school in Merida for World Environment day. Each class in the school has to make a poster using recycled material or natural material from the environment that demonstrates one way that they can help protect the environment. Hopefully I will have some photos of that to put up next week.

As for my community project to improve the water system during the dry season, we are still waitin for the funds to arrive. Peace Corps approved our proposal and it has been sent to Washington for their approval. They said it takes about a month to get the money and it has been about a month so hopefully I will be hearing from them soon. The water committee is ready to get started on the project.

As for my research I have spent some time recently climbing the volcano and the larger streams looking for lava flows. I hiked the volcano 3 times in the last month or so and it is never easy. The most recent trip I hiked up the volcano from the town of San Pedro which is about half way around the volcano from where I live. But it was the easiest of the 3 trails up the volcano. However, it rained most of the way up and the trail was horribly muddy and I managed a few good falls. I also managed to hit my wrist on a very spiky tree and a week later I still have a few little needles in my wrist. The volcano is very beautiful and there are always lots of birds and monkeys to be seen and heard. There is also lots of wonderful vegetation, but it has a way of covering and blocking a lot of the rocks making my life a little more difficult. I have collected a number of samples, however, I have a lot more work to do before I am done.

A lovely petroglyph on the way up the volcano.

Inside the crater of the volcano: look at all that vegetation

Freshwater crab in a stream on the volcano.

Waterfall over a lava flow (finally some rocks!)

Last Sunday was Mother’s Day here in Nicaragua and the Thursday before that they celebrated the day in the schools. Below are a few pictures of some of the performances put on by the kids.