Guatemala, February 17th, 2017. A group of 13 community leaders from Nueva Concepción, Escuintla, participated in a fieldtrip around the Madre Vieja and Coyolate watersheds. The trip started yesterday and finished today with a visit to the El Baul Museum, Santa Lucia Cotzumalguapa, Escuintla.
Participants traveled around the watersheds mentioned about and visited strategic points. The first one was in San Lucas Toliman, Solola, at the Santo Tomas Perdido farms, where they learned about the conservation of natural forests, which has several water springs; clean energy generation at the Santa Teresa hydroelectric plant, and agro forest systems that have been implemented in coffee crops. They also visited Tecpan, whey they became familiar with the agro forest systems of corn and avocado; the efforts made by the Environmental Civil Association Xaya -ACAX- to protect forest were also shown at that point. They also visited the division between the Coyolate and Madre Vieja watersheds.
The fieldtrip continued today in Parramos, Chimaltenango, where they visited the ICC-CEDIG tree nursery, and where they also learned about the efforts to reforest the area. The trip finished at Santa Lucia Cotzumalguapa, where they visited the eucalyptus forests for energy purposes, as well as the soil conservation efforts (hillside ditches) that have been implemented along Pantaleon sugar mill.
By the end of the trip, participants showed their satisfaction and gratitude since the tour allowed them to broad their knowledge in integrated watershed management, forest conservation, forests for energy purposes, agro forest systems, soil conservation, and water cycle, among others.
The trip was supported by professionals from the Madre Tierra, Magdalena and Pantaleon sugar mills, and the ICC.
