A brief but detailed account of our time in Puerto Libre

On our arrival into Puerto Libre we were made to feel extremely welcome and at home in the small community.  We did not commence our work straight away, but were allowed a few days to be shown around Puerto Libre and surrounding areas.

We were educated on the region and the reasons for our work here. We were shown the work already undertaken by the Local Environmental Association and what future plans were being developed. “It was amazing to be apart of such a movement!”

As Puerto Libre is a rich source for natural resources, for mining and logging, part of our work here was to help the Environmental Association develop ideas to help sustain and protect their natural resources.

On our educational treks we also learned about the local flora and forner, and were shown some of the iconic landmarks of the area, including the local rivers, waterfalls, areas of devastation and then areas of protection.  We found all this information extremely interesting and useful in providing us with the knowledge and understanding needed to undertake our work!  

Other introductory activities included, fishing at the local fish farm, swimming in the local river and playing games (basketball and volleyball) with the local children.

After a week of settling in and getting used to everything, we started work on our project. This was to build a greenhouse from scratch, using basic tools, materials and natural resources from the surrounding area.

We worked with an instructor and a small team of locals who were all members of the Environmental Association. Our work included:

clearing land removing stones from the ground stitching the roof netting togetherdigging holes for the support posts Finding and cutting down trees for support postsCutting down bamboo for roof support and transporting it to the work siteStabilizing support poles Stringing up and tying down the roofHoeing land for clear growing space  Creating isles for sapling Digging for soil and bringing it back to the work site Filling bags with soil for the seeds to be planted Digging for soil and bringing it back to the work site Planting the seeds in the sapling bags

Another great part of this experience was living with our family. We became very close with our family and they looked after us extremely well. We were woken up for breakfast each morning, and for the days we were at work, we were packed a take out lunch so we could eat at our work site. Our family also made sure we had regular visits to the nearby town, as to use internet and phones facilities.

 Bonding with our family was very important, I felt because it meant we were more so apart of the community.

Once we had become more accustomed to our surroundings and environment, we began to take part in some more adventurous activities. Including:

Billy playing a part in the local school playFresh water fishing in a nearby stream – catching the fish by hand and cooking them on an open fireBuilding a raft with natural materials Panning for gold at the local river

I hope this insight into our experience helps motivate others to go out and take part in something similar to our work in Puerto Libre. And also helps promote further work in the area of Puerto Libre.

Best wishes

Jessie and Billy.