Earth Train BISD Workshop
Jane Goodall Partnership
Hoodwinked
Green Design Tour
On December 27th, fourteen students from across the United States and Canada piled into 4-wheel-drive trucks and began a journey through degraded rainforest and cattle pastures to the entrance of the Mamoní Valley Preserve. They spent the next 5 days hiking with Panamanian naturalist Lider Sucre; studying systems thinking with David Stroh, a National Science Foundation Fellow at MIT and founding partner of Innovation Associates; and learning the intricacies of sustainable development with Earth Train Founder Nathan Gray. Almost all the students were members of Global Brigades, and many were even leaders of their own Global Brigade trips. They acted as consultants to Earth Train and the Mamoní Valley Preserve, using the systems thinking tools provided by David to explore Earth Train's projects and the possible unintended consequences that they carried.
Photography here is accredited to one of the student participants, Jonathan Lee.
On the morning of October 9, 2009, Dr. Jane Goodall addressed the plenary session of the international symposium of the Association of Environmental Studies and Science - live via satellite from Earth Train's Centro Madroño. Introduced by Dr. Glenn Adelson, Earth Train's Co-Chair for Life Sciences, Jane began with a word of gratitude to the howler monkeys who so kindly served as her alarm clock early that morning. "What an inspiring way to wake up," she said.
Dr. Goodall's speech capped a visit to Panama to discuss collaboration with Earth Train on the realization of a goal she has held dear for several years: The establishment of an international center in the Americas for youth leadership in connection with her worldwide youth action and learning program, Roots and Shoots. At a reception Earth Train hosted at Casa Arias, in team with partner organizations Fundación Danilo Pérez, the Kuna General Congress and BioMuseo, Dr. Goodall acknowledged "the powerful forces unleashed when young people resolve to make a change." She spoke enthusiastically about how much she looked forward to working with Earth Train and its partners on supporting youth in "taking informed and sustained action toward realizing their vision for a just and healthy world."
We are delighted to be working with Dr. Goodall and her colleagues at the Jane Goodall Institute on establishing, in the Mamoní Valley Preserve and at Casa Arias, a new multi-cultural center for Roots and Shoots, a learning and action campus for young emerging leaders from around the Americas and beyond.
New York Times Best Selling author John Perkins' newest book, Hoodwinked, is now on sale. Rich in hard-hitting stories and insight, the book describes the deep underlying causes of the current crises and provides a blueprint for change, for creating a world our children will want to inherit.
Hoodwinked concludes with an inspiring description of the Mamoní Valley Preserve and Junglewood projects: "The Mamoní Valley Preserve... is a place to incubate dreams. The old dream was based on exploiting - conquering - nature and people. The new one is about living in harmony."
You can learn more about John's work at his website. Order Hoodwinked today through www.dreamchange.org and help support the non-profit with your purchase!
Earth Train will be hosting an Elevate Destinations Green Design tour this March. Elevate Destinations is a leading philanthropic travel company and a designer of Responsive Travel: travel that makes a difference to destination communities.
This "design congreso" in Panama explores green building, urban planning, design for climate adaptation and community-centered design. This experiential program is part green design education, part adventure tour and one hundred percent transformational. Earth Train partner Craig Robert, a principal in the renowned architectural firm Hart Howerton specializing in ecological design, is taking part in this journey focused on the future of the island habitats of the indigenous Kuna and the future of the Mamoní Valley Preserve.
To learn more about this program click here.
Junglewood is an idea that will bring the vibrance of music and performing arts to the hallowed jungles of Eastern Panama. The seed, planted in February 2009, has grown into an exciting new concept for performance and composition on the world stage. Click the video to the left to see a conversation between Earth Train co-director Glenn Adelson and jazz great Danilo Pérez, or go straight to the junglewood page.
"When I met the Earth Train youth leaders at the UN Earth Summit, I was impressed with their knowledge and dedication. Theirs is the kind of visionary leadership we need to meet the environmental and social problems facing us. Earth Train can change America and the world." — Al Gore
"The Earth Train Program offers young people a unique opportunity to develop their leadership potential, to broaden their diversity, and to become sensitive to the needs and gifts of our irreplaceable, beautiful earth." — Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu
