Caracoles Terrestres de la Isla San Cristobal

As is well known, there is an incredible amount of biodiversity present in and around the Galapagos Islands; however, due to the introduction of invasive species, endemic biodiversity has declined immensely. Here on San Cristobal, one of the goals of Hacienda Tranquila is to control invasive species and support endemic species. Volunteers at Hacienda Tranquila have been working hard to do just this in the highlands of San Cristobal, specifically on the plot of land where Hacienda Tranquila is located. It is suffice to say that quite a bit of progress has been made.

Proof of this progress comes in many forms, but one of the most rewarding is when endemic fauna reintroduces itself into the endemic flora. One way that this is occurring is with land snails (caracoles terrestres). Since the volunteers at Hacienda Tranquila have been working to reduce and control invasive species and reintroduce and support endemic species, there has been a large increase of the amount and diversity of land snails that have reappeared on the Hacienda Tranquila property.

A study was conducted to chart this progress and found that six different species of land snails have reintroduced themselves into the now largely endemic environment surrounding Hacienda Tranquila since their volunteers have begun their work. This goes to show just how successful Hacienda Tranquila and its volunteers have been thus far in reaching their goal to revive the native natural environment. A BIG thank you to all of the volunteers who have helped in this endeavor!

Mi Mascota 2014

Martina Aviles, a student at Universidad San Francisco de Quito, coordinated and managed a project called Mi Mascota 2014 here on San Cristobal Island in the towns of El Progreso and La Soledad. For this project, she asked the children of these communities to draw a picture that showed how to take good care of pets (mascotas); accompanied by a brief caption. Aviles then compiled these drawings into a calander for 2014. This project was very ingenuitive, especially considering the large amount of pets - specifically dog and cats - that do reside on this island. In these pictures you can see just a few ways that the children of El Progreso and La Soledad have shown and explained how to take care of your pets!

A BIG thank you to Martina for facilitating this project!

...And we're back!

Greetings to all! We have missed you all a lot and apologize for our absence from the blog. But we are back and have so much to tell you about, including projects new and old!

First we want to let you know that we have had a fantastic year, with 2013 bringing in the most volunteers to date...which means we have gotten a lot accomplished! To start with, the Hacienda is doing great...all of the property is continuously improving. To date, we have 20 cows, 3 bulls, 2 new calves, 6 horses, Ricky (our donkey), some pigs, and more chickens than we can count! Makes for a busy time here while we are not controlling invasives or working in the community.

Our gardens are thriving and we are in the process of expanding our nursery to accommodate more plants....but that's for another blog post.

Volunteers have been working hard and have achieved some amazing results. Over the past year, we have controlled over 12 hectares of invasive plants and planted over 2,000 endemic plants.

We have some great projects that we are working on and want to share with you. Some of these include updates on the water pipeline and related project of a reservoir to hold the water, planting of Bracaria grass, expanding our nursery and garden, future plans for a community center, and a brand new project called BookBus!

Whoa, we have a lot on our plate...but that is because we are serious about making positive impacts here on San Cristobal. We want you to know all of the details and keep you updated as things progress. So check back in with us each week, and be sure to check out our new Facebook page! Tell your friends! We have big plans here on the Hacienda, and whether you are near or far....we want you to be a part of it!

Thanks for your support and....

¡Hasta Luego, Amigos!

Hacienda Tranquila branches out towards books!

Here at the Hacienda we’re always trying to find new ways to get involved and make a positive impact in the San Cristobal community. As we’ve had so much success eradicating invasive species in the highlands, we were looking for new opportunities around the island for volunteers to get involved in for the future. With this in mind, Hacienda Tranquila is pleased to introduce to blog readers their new project, a joint effort with The Book Bus, a UK based charity, which will work to help improve literacy on the island through providing increased access to books.

 

The Book Bus is an organization that works to create mobile libraries for rural areas whose inhabitants don’t have access to literary materials. They help create a “BookBus” that can travel around, giving remote communities access to a book exchange, and also create “Reading Corners” in schools and community places, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn to love reading. The Book Bus already has operations in Africa, India, and mainland Ecuador, and starting now, will be expanding their efforts into the Galapagos here in San Cristobal. Hacienda Tranquila is helping establish and coordinate efforts on the island, doing the initial fact-finding missions to send information back to Quito and the UK to get the process started. The plan is to have a “BookTruck” as our mobile library, and to set up “Reading Corners” both in local schools and in hard-to-reach communities in the highlands.

We are now a couple of weeks into the project, and have so far visited four different schools on San Cristobal, to introduce them to the project and obtain preliminary information from them about the number of students they have. This information was then sent off to the UK so that books can start being collected. All reports so far have been resoundingly positive, both from locals on the Galapagos and Book Bus personnel in the UK. Moving forward, Geovanny and Rachel (a Master’s student studying on San Cristobal and volunteering with the project), have a lot of work cut out for them as they start to create a budget for the project, and go to various communities in the highlands to drum up support for the project and to find the perfect locations for our community “Reading Corners.” If all goes according to plan, books should start arriving in December, school “Reading Corners” will be set up for the start of the next school year in March, and Hacienda volunteers will have yet an another amazing opportunity to help out in the Galapagos, reading with local school children. Hacienda Tranquila believes that learning shouldn’t be limited to lessons in school, but should be fostered through active learning and the search for knowledge; in this sense, the Book Bus is a perfect way to expand learning opportunities in the Galapagos.

Interested in learning more about our exciting new project? Check out the blog dedicated to the Book Bus in San Cristobal, and keep updated about new progress! http://bookbussancristobal.blogspot.com/

 

Hasta Luego Amigos!

What does the community say?

At Hacienda we take pride in our focus on both the environmental and social issues of the Galapagos. As one of the only organizations that addresses the problems of the people we want to be sure that the work we do is seen as an important contribution to the community. To better understand the community’s perspective on our projects we interviews two important community members. President of the community La Soledad, Nelson Francisco Sim Baño Ballesteros, said:

            “Personally, the Hacienda helps me through the exchange of ideas between the community and the volunteers. During the volunteer’s free time they interact with the community through dancing, soccer, and a little volleyball. These social interactions help us to learn English and how to socialize with people from outside our community. Our community has benefitted greatly from the Hacienda and the volunteers and we value their work.” 

President of the school in La Soledad, Angel Pallo, said:

““The Hacienda is the only form of help the farmers receive, and without the help of the volunteers the work that is being done would not be possible.”

We are very happy to know that our work is valued by the residents of La Soledad and are forever thankful to all of our volunteers for their dedication to bettering the community!

Outstanding Volunteer Project Award!

Wonderful news, Hacienda Tranquila won the WYSE Volunteer & Travel 2012 Outstanding Volunteer Project Award! Thank you so much to all of the volunteers from the past, present, and future. Without all of their hard work, dedication and enthusiasm we would not be able to make as big of an impact in the community as we have! We are honored and overjoyed to be recognized for our work with the environment and community and are so thankful for all of the support! Read more about the award at: http://wyseworkabroad.org/wyse-volunteer-travel/award-outstanding-volunteer-project-2012/

Life at Hacienda Tranquila

One of the most important sources of information to understand what life is like at Hacienda Tranquila comes straight from the volunteers who've been there. We have a few quotes to share from our past volunteers for individuals interested in contributing to the ecological and social systems during their stay in the Galápagos Islands:

"What an amazing two weeks it was at the Hacienda, and I am so said to be leaving. San Cristóbal and all of the Galápagos have been such an amazing home during my time here, and there really is no place quite like Hacienda Tranquila." --Adeline

"Volunteering at the Hacienda has surpassed my expectations. I came knowing little of the project and had no idea I would meet so many amazing friends in the short month I was here. I loved exploring San Cristóbal, being involved in a wide variety of projects intended to better the lives of all native and endemic living things on this special island, learning to bake in the oven, play card games into the night, and collecting and eating the many fruits and veggies grown within a few minutes walk! I have learned a lot and I am really sad to leave." -- Anya A.

"They say life is about the journey and not the destination. Thanks to all who made my last four weeks memorable while enhancing my journey. Wielding a machete and battling mora was so much more enjoyable with friends to laugh and dance with and sing aloud with each and every day. I have learned so much from the insight you all possess and have been inspired by your own desires to change the world and make it a better place." --Lindsay C.

Committing to work at Hacienda Tranquila will certainly push you into a new and exciting experience like you've never encountered before. It will be challenging, and it will test your strength and resiliency. But in the end, the work you do and the relationships you build will leave a lasting impression on your life. We can't wait to guide you through this unique journey!


Cheers,
Hacienda Tranquila