GFDD Joins Centro Cultural Perelló in Celebrating Environment Week

Santo Domingo, January 25 2013

This week the Centro Cultural Perelló, located in Bani, in collaboration with GFDD/FUNGLODE, will be hosting a full program of activities the aim of which is to increase community awareness and promote environmental conservation and natural resources management.

The week kicked off with the launch of the Community and School Garden Program, Ecohuertos RD, at the René Descartes School in Bani. Asuncion Sanz, director of GFDD’s DC office and Cristiana Cruz Minier, GFDD’s Community and School Garden Program Coordinator, were on site to welcome students, community leaders, the Ministry of Agriculture represented by AltagraciaGuerreo and Ramón Méndez, as well as José González, from the Ministry of the Environment. They highlighted the principle tenants of the program, which seeks to enhance middle and high school Natural Science curriculums through the creation of vegetable gardens and hands-on, experimental activities. The Ecohuertos RD program, already initiated and received with great enthusiasm by the students at the René Descartes School, will also include two other public schools in Bani; Canada and Llano Schools.

In the afternoon, following the launch of the Ecohuertos RD program, GFDD also inaugurated the Dominican Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Environment Photo Exhibit at the Centro Cultural Perelló (CCP).  The welcoming remarks were delivered by Julia Castillo, CCP’s executive director, who asserted the centers commitment in the continued development of environmental programs, aimed at engaging her community, inspiring interest in the natural beauty of theprovince of Peraviaand promoting the conservation of its natural resources. 

The Exhibit, which displays the great wealth of information, photos and graphics found within the Dominican Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Environment,offers basic knowledge to young readers on environment and conservation methods, planting the seeds of life-long learning and environmental responsibility.

The Dictionary, published by GFDD/FUNGLODE in 2009 and also available online in English and Spanish, masterfully unites information on environment and natural resources of the Dominican Republic. The volume incorporates information on a wide range of disciplines, including chemistry, physics, geology, biology, atmospheric engineering, earth and soil sciences, geography, demography, economics and law.

The evening concluded with aspecial screening of the documentary film Bag it. Audiences had the opportunity to dialogue with Suzan Beraza, director of the film, and to interact with eminent conservation figures of Baní, like Joaquín Bautista Guerrero, representative for the Province of the Ministry of the Environment.  This encouraged audiences to face the challenges caused by plastic pollution today, and adopt the 3R principles of sustainability: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Centro Cultural Perelló’s Environment week will conclude this Friday, January 25th with a Recycled Art Workshop, R3crearte. The workshop, which will be led by artist Bertha Santana, seeks to engage children in finding alternative uses and transforming used materials into new objects through arts and crafts.