El Milagro, Ecuador

Location of Project: The Intag region of Cotacachi, Ecuador (2 hours by bus from Otavalo).
Project Start Date: 2000
Expected Completion Date (i.e. when expected to be financially self-sufficient):

Project Concept:

Demonstrating and practising an alternative lifestyle model based on permaculture principles to both local communities and international visitors.

Detailed Project Description:

The El Milagro project is a 35 ha. cloud forest reserve located in one of the 10 hotspots of global biodiversity, the Cotacachi/Cayapas region of Ecuador.

Our long term goal is to create and demonstrate a replicable ecological lifestyle to local, national and international visitors and regenerate a precious cloud forest ecosystem.

The El Milagro project in Intag (Cotacachi, Ecuador) aims to provide an ecological lifestyle model based on permaculture design principles and experimenting with easily replicable and inexpensive ecological technologies from compost toilets, simple hydro-electric systems, solar cookers and dryers and biogas digesters. It is a place where you are invited to teach and learn and practice sustainable systems with local community groups.

The project was set up by the Rainforest Information Centre's (RIC) Anja Light and is supported by the Sloth Club Japan and the many volunteers who have helped to establish it up to this point. The project depends on volunteers who offer their experience and enthusiasm, while also having the opportunity to learn about a simple sustainable lifestyle in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

For the past ten years active members of the RIC and the Sloth Club have worked with local NGOs and the local municipal government of Cotacachi, led by the progressive indigenous Mayor, Auki Tituana, to promote a wide range of alternative development initiatives. These have included alternative development expos, securing international markets for organic products including shade grown coffee and locally produced handicrafts as well as promoting ecocultural tourism and volunteer opportunities. All of this has contributed to local success in rejecting massive industrial mining projects and has added to the growing reputation of the Intag region as an ecological-model for South America.

Any volunteer working at the El Milagro project site becomes part of this important intitiative to provide viable and practical options to live a high quality of life, with a strong sense of community without destroying nature.
All volunteers need to have a commitment to the environment, to be reasonably fit and physical (not scared of suspension bridges or steep cliffs) and be open-minded, inventive and self motivated. El Milagro is a peaceful, secluded place (nearest neighbours are about 1/2 walk away) where every visitor finds their spirit lifted and filled with the power and abundance of nature. Basic ability in speaking Spanish is also important, though a Spanish school is now open in the local village of Pucara (population 200) as part of a long term plan to support this local ecological community.

We now have two comfortable and secure living areas (an octagonal house with large balcony and traditional mud walls, and a recently completed house made of locally sourced stone and timber). Clean water from a small permanent stream is on tap, a gas cooker helps with cooking and a solar panel provides energy for laptop computers. The many fruit trees and garden plots ensure a good supply of healthy, organic food. It is a one hour picturesque walk (made easier with help from our horse Shanti!) from the village of Pucara to El Milagro with 5 buses a day passing by on their way to the famous market town of Otavalo (2 hours drive and app. $2 fare).

El Milagro is located at 1800 metres above sea level meaning year round cool comfort with daily temperatures ranging from 10 degrees at night to 24 degrees during the day. Living costs are around $150 per month plus food (in addition to what the garden provides). A permanent local caretaker, Luis Hidalgo, is employed to work with and assist volunteers.

Our approach in assisting the hundreds of volunteers from around the world to help in a wide variety of projects around Ecuador has always been to encourage creativity, flexibility and freedom to apply specific skill(s) and interests to the particular site.

The permaculture design has been steadily evolving and expanding and includes many fruit trees, vegetable and cassava plots and around 300 coffee trees.

Volunteering at El Milagro is a once in a lifetime opportunity for an individual, couple or small family to experience a new culture and make a positive difference in the world. Living at El Milagro is a step back (or forward) to a more simple, slow and meaningful life - an experience that everyone should have at least once in their lifetime!

Project Duration & Schedule:

This is an ongoing project, supported by the Rainforest Information Centre and the Sloth Club Japan and collaborating locally with a wide range of environmental and development NGOs.

Short Term (3 months from 09/08):

• Update permaculture design
• Repair shower house (using locally sourced sugar cane grass)
• Install simple solar shower set up
• Maintaining existing gardens
• Building raised garden beds using local materials (stone)
• Creating paths in the cloud forest reserve and to improve access with the local (eco) village of Pucara.
• Building Japanese style bath house
• Holding a simple workshop to promote soya products (with volunteers from Japan)

Medium Term (12 months):

• Extending the agroforestry area with a mix of shade grown coffee, icecream bean, bananas, citrus, anonas etc.
• Expanding areas under cultivation especially extending the range of varieties of food being grown, collecting seeds and distributing them to the local communities.
• Organising workshops on a variety of permaculture, health and nutrition themes based in the nearby village of Pucara.
• Developing a system of financial sustainability for the long term project (through a mix of good management of visitors and volunteers and selling of products).

Long Term

Maintaining the site as a demonstrative permaculture model, rehabilitating 10 ha of disturbed cloud forest and protecting the app. 20 ha of primary cloud forest as a seedbank in the rehabilitation of the whole region.

Project Needs

• Permaculture Volunteers and supporting visitors
• Long term volunteers (up to 3 years - assistance with visa provided)
• Short term volunteers (minimum 2 weeks, living costs $150 plus food)
• Visitors ($15 per day including food)

(All income supports the ongoing running costs of the project site)

Other Information:

Anja Light is the main contact person for this project site however will be leaving Ecuador in early December 2008. The project will then be run by a long term volunteer with assistance from Peter Shear from the eco-village project of Pucara (www.casainteram.org). Anja Light will still be available to provide further information about the site.