Liste der möglichen Mitarbeitsprojekte (in Englisch)
Biology, nature and conservation:
• Planning of land use: How to improve use of resources. Is the land apt for agriculture? And for what kind of it? Or only for forest growth? Land surveying, water quality, soil quality, watersheds
• Hunting of wild animals: Many campesinos are hunting animals of the forest - for food or to sell them. You may study this activity and show ways to curb it or other means to avoid endangering the survival of species.
• Inventory of plants and animals: Longo Mai has an ongoing project of establishing an inventory of plant and animal species of its forests and fields. UNAPROA wants to establish an inventory of the forested watersheds above to enhance its conservation work.
• Forestry: You might work/study in the field of forest management and reforestation. e.g.: mixed plantings, identify seed trees in Longo Mai's secondary and primary forests, management of secondary forests, propagation of as yet unresearched native trees, collect data on already existing reforestations etc.
Agro-ecology:
• Conversion to organic agriculture: Many campesinos would like to farm organically, but are afraid of losses and risks. Research and evaluation of farming habits, organic techniques, biological pest control, regional models, alternatives and marketing opportunities could help to speed up the process of conversion to organic farming. Parts of sugar cane and coffee fields are already in conversion - which you might study UNAPROA also has a project of organic fertilizer - you might study its production and application.
• Productive projects: People are multiplying, land is getting scarce and there is too much dependence on a few cash crops with very unreliable world-market prices - particularly coffee and sugar cane (A small processing facility for local organic sugar exists and one for organic coffee is planned). You might research ways to market these products (also abroad) and possibilities to keep more of the added value of the products in the region. Or you might find or help to develop new crops with good marketing potential like vanilla, pejibaye, pepper, tropical tubers, tropical dried or canned fruits etc. Or help to find ways to market locally made textile products. Agricultural development. In particular study development of government distributed parcels (IDA projects) and may be compare to development in Longo Mai.
• Mixed planting: Mixed planting is a precolombian tradition still practiced by Latin American campesinos - for instance maize, beans and gourds. Many mixtures of perennial crops are used as well. You might collect information about mixed cropping as practiced now and/or introduce/test new forms of it.
• Medicinal plants: Which plants could be grown and/or collected for marketing purposes and/or for local use?
• Clearing of land by burning: This is a great ecological problem but it certainly does economize labour in certain situations. Your research might improve our understanding of the reasons of farmers to burn their fields and to find or develop more ecologically sound alternatives.
• Fallowing: Fallowing is traditionally employed by campesinos. You might study it and see if it could be substituted by nitrogen producing cover-crops, mixed planting and/or crop rotation or other methods.
• Native bees: Meloponinae produce medicinal honey, are important pollinators, don't sting and are native to Latin America. Their nests can be mounted right under the roof. You might help establish keeping of native bees in the region, and to show how to harvest their honey.
More project opportunities:
Accompany/evaluate existing projects
Like the tailoring workshop, the kindergarden , computer courses etc. Longo Mai and UNAPROA have various other projects, e.g. womens groups, school gardens, etc. You may study the advantages and problems of such projects and/or participate/contribute yourself.
Womens groups and womens projects
• E.g. development of new sources of income for women (handicraft, textiles, dried or canned food, medicinal plants etc), household economy, educational and other needs etc.Some women projects are scheduled within UNAPROA.
Handicraft:
• In Costa Rica's Pacifico Sur exist various handicraft projects - often managed by women's groups - for instance textile made of native cotton and coloring with colors of native plants and animals. You may document or research such techniques, participate in such groups or research other options of handicraft and home industries like solar cooking. Supervision by the regional museum of Region Brunca.
Health
• You may study already existing traditional healing knowledge (plants, massage, spiritual healing etc.) or contribute in the field of • disease prevention, • nutrition etc.
Education
• You may collaborate with the teachers in the village schools or give private lessons - e.g. in math, english (great need in over 40 school classes! sometimes communities give rooma and/or board), environmental education, music, arts or handicraft. These are subjects where many teachers aren´t sufficiently qualified or hindered because they have to teach 2 or more classes in one classroom. How to care for disabled children in a rural environment? Exchange Spanish for your native language with an interested villager. In Longo Mai also exists a small language school (talk to Eduardo).
Agro-Ecoturism
• The whole region has a good agro-ecotourist potential, many families in Longo Mai in particular have many years of experience in offering food and lodging to eco-tourists in their houses at any time in the year. In fact, Longo Mai is one of very few places in Central America where tourists can share the life of campesino families. We have seen that this is something many tourists want to experience more than anything else. The result is a real south-north exchange and often lasting friendships. UNAPROA has startet its own eco-tourism project. You might help to develop the agro-ecotourism of Longo Mai and UNAPROA - particularly in the areas of offer and marketing.
Documentation of old techniques, cultural heritage and history
• Older campesinas and campesinos, in particular some people from El Salvador, still know and use old techniques and cultural forms in areas such as agriculture, food preparation, music etc. You might document the old songs and stories. You might help to discover the history of the region of Longo Mai and the area of UNAPROA using documents and interviews.
Archaeology
• In Longo Mai (with the help of "piedras vivas", Berlin) over 60 precolombian petroglyphs have been 'discovered' in a few weeks on only 5 hectares, and in the whole region of Costa Rica's Pacifico Sur ancient engraved stones and ancient sites abound. Deforestation has deprived this 'historic art museum' of it's protective forest cover, so that the petroglyphs are eroding fast. You may help to enlarge the inventory (drawing, photos and other methods). The meaning of the ancient rock art remains a mystery. You might analyze ways of interpretation - for instance by comparing similar symbols used by present day indigenous people in the region or elsewhere. Supervision by the director of the regional museum, licenciada Aida Blanco (M. Sc.)
Native Americans
• Longo Mai and UNAPROA have good relations with indigenous people in Costa Rica (Teribe, Boruca, Bribri) and the Ngöbe-Buglé in Panama. All these people have many projects, yet often lack skilled people and/or time and/or money. You might contribute in areas like agro-ecology, productive projects, handicraft, medicinal plants, medical care, education, or research of dangerous projects like mines and dams. The indigenous village of Zapotal is associated to UNAPROA.
Photo, video, documentation
• Good documentation of projects, activities and other topics is very helpful for our information work and better information of tourists - countless opportunities for photo and video amateurs...
Legal questions
• law students may research the fate of the many law suits against illegal loggers etc. They might also study the possibilities of disfavored groups to secure their rights with legal means. Within the project of UNAPROA 97/98 a part of the activities will be dedicated to establish a database of environmental crimes.
Microeconomy
• Calculation of local production costs (coffee, sugar cane, mais, beans, yucca, etc.), "fair" prices of products or turistic services (meals, lodging, washing clothes for tourists, horses and guides etc.)
Land surveying
• Protected and reforested areas, fields and archeological objects etc. need to be measured and mapped. Surveyors of "piedras vivas" (Berlin) already have measured some archeological sites.