Eco-Huertos’ efforts to partner with more schools and educational institutions around Santo Domingo are producing dividends. The program is proud to announce the beginning of Eco-Huertos’ collaboration with The Community for Learning, which will receive our expertise and constant support in the creation and maintenance of its school garden.

Christopher Esquea, a Biologist and Science teacher at the institution, is full of desire to watch his garden prosper. With Christopher’s love for living organisms and the knowledge and care provided by Eco-Huertos, we can create a synergy capable of achieving great learning outcomes for all participants.

The Community for Learning has plenty of available space and is willing to turn most of it into vegetable gardens. To be certain, there is a vast amount of work to do and many chances will arise for learning along the way! Another great perk about the school is that it has a fully functioning compost pile and a system of organic material vermicomposting under Esquea’s supervision.

Eco-Huertos’ first visit to the school was extremely satisfying as it featured the involvement of schoolchildren from the very beginning of the project. They thoroughly enjoyed weeding the present garden beds and sowing seeds, and Eco-Huertos was similarly pleased to foster such a vital connection between humans and the earth as students and teachers alike turned the soil to aerate and prepare it for future plantings.

About Eco-Huertos:

The Eco-Huertos program seeks to support the creation of organic and sustainable vegetable gardens in schools and communities throughout the Dominican Republic, as well as support, through hands-on workshops, areas of natural sciences contained in the educational curriculum. The program also generates awareness on sustainable practices and the importance of a balanced diet, achieving a greater appreciation for and receptiveness toward the consumption of vegetables.

About The Community for Learning:

The Community for Learning is a bilingual elementary and secondary school which focuses on the individual needs of each student, taking into account academic, social and emotional needs, in order to ready them for the challenges of a world in constant change. It follows a Dominican as well as an international curriculum, and prepares its students to be members of a global community. Among other focuses, it advocates learning that develops the analytical and interpretive skills needed to understand the flood of information generated in the 21st century.

Read More:

www.eco-huertos.org

http://www.tcfl.edu.do/

www.globalfoundationdd.org

For GFDD’s Eco-Huertos program, November is already shaping up to be a great month. Word has spread about the program to private schools in Santo Domingo, and many appear enthusiastic about starting their own gardens through the expertise of Eco-Huertos in the beginning of 2018, after students return from their winter break.

Eco-Huertos is happy to see that Saint George School has continued its efforts to make its garden flourish. On a recent visit, Cheryl Re, Social Studies instructor and designated garden curator, was instructed on how to pinch herbs such as rosemary, thyme and basil. Similar to pruning techniques discussed in the last visit, pinching is a way to direct herbs’ biological process towards increased yield. It consists in removing the apical meristem (top leaf growth) of shoots to encourage axillary branching, resulting in a fuller, healthier plant.

In an effort to bring more scientific grounding to the garden and present to instructors and students basic biological concepts which form the foundations of plant lifecycles, soil pH tests were conducted by Hector Marin Jr., from Koor Caribe, to provide a deeper soil quality assessment than traditional methods can produce. Eco-Huertos is happy to have his support when technical difficulties or water management issues arise at Saint George School.

Ultimately, keeping a garden healthy requires constant observation and ceaseless maintenance, but mostly, what keep gardens running is the love and dedication of those who look after them.

About Eco-Huertos:

The Eco-Huertos program seeks to support the creation of organic and sustainable vegetable gardens in schools and communities throughout the Dominican Republic, as well as support, through hands-on workshops, areas of natural sciences contained in the educational curriculum. The program also generates awareness on sustainable practices and the importance of a balanced diet, achieving a greater appreciation for and receptiveness toward the consumption of vegetables.

About Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD):
The Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), sister organization of Funglode in the United States, is a non-partisan and non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of collaboration between organizations in the United States and the Dominican Republic in order to conduct research, enhance public debate, design public policy, propose strategies and provide training to facilitate change in crucial areas of the social, economic and democratic development of the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean and Latin America.

Read More:

www.eco-huertos.org

www.globalfoundationdd.org

A few weeks having passed, the collaboration between Eco-Huertos and Saint George School is evolving beautifully and showing tangible results, as seen in a healthier and more diverse vegetable garden.

Recognizing Eco-Huertos’ focus on tie-ins with practical education and curriculum-focused topics, the most recent site visit saw Cheryl Re, Social Studies Instructor and designated garden curator, receiving lessons on the implications of pruning tomato plants as a way of directing photosynthetic energy solely to fruit production, thereby improving the quality and size of each tomato produced.

Though it is not often thought of as such, soil is a vital natural resource that must be preserved to yield desired results. Stressing the importance of care for natural resources, Re and Donald Gotz, Special Projects Director, were provide guidance on simple soil monitoring testing via the “Ribbon Method.” Using this method, soil is pressed between two fingers and checked for the presence of long ribbons, which indicate a high clay percentage in the soil; an impediment to the plants’ nutrient uptake.

As a way to teach students about ecosystem dynamics and the synergies that can be reached when variety is emphasized, Eco-Huertos and Saint George School have introduced companion plantings to the school’s rooftop garden. The new plants will benefit the desired crops by keeping pests away and attracting pollinators such as bees and butterflies.

All of the knowledge shared between Eco-Huertos and the administrators at Saint George School is being spread by Re and Gotz to the children and adults that take part into running the school’s beautiful garden. Eco-Huertos is overjoyed at the instructors’ enthusiasm to achieve a prosperous garden for future generations of students to maintain.

About Eco-Huertos:

The Eco-Huertos program seeks to support the creation of organic and sustainable vegetable gardens in schools and communities throughout the Dominican Republic, as well as support, through hands-on workshops, areas of natural sciences contained in the educational curriculum. The program also generates awareness on sustainable practices and the importance of a balanced diet, achieving a greater appreciation for and receptiveness toward the consumption of vegetables.

About Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD):
The Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), sister organization of Funglode in the United States, is a non-partisan and non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of collaboration between organizations in the United States and the Dominican Republic in order to conduct research, enhance public debate, design public policy, propose strategies and provide training to facilitate change in crucial areas of the social, economic and democratic development of the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean and Latin America.

Read More:

www.eco-huertos.org

www.globalfoundationdd.org

Beginning its activities for the 2017-2018 academic calendar, GFDD’s Eco-Huertos program initiated its collaboration with Saint George School to create one of the most advanced rooftop gardens out of the entire the Eco-Huertos program.

The garden has approximately twenty six planting beds, vertical planting pots and an automated, double-line drip irrigation system that is able to access each planting space. In addition, an automated, Bluetooth-controlled misting system covers the planting perimeter and helps to mitigate the stresses of extreme heat on the plants. It also works marvels when germinating new seeds.

This joint venture between Eco-Huertos and Saint George School has seen considerable participation from school staff members Donald Gotz, Special Projects Director, and Cheryl Re, Social Studies Instructor. Both have made available their time and efforts to support the development of this amazing project.

As any other garden, it has faced many difficulties including pests, drought, heat stress, compacted soil, and abandonment. Nevertheless, through the invaluable efforts of Gotz and Re, and with the constant follow-up from Eco-Huertos, Saint George School can expect to have a garden with its own ecosystem; the main goal when creating any sustainable and ecofriendly space.

About Eco-Huertos:

The Eco-Huertos program seeks to support the creation of organic and sustainable vegetable gardens in schools and communities throughout the Dominican Republic, as well as support, through hands-on workshops, areas of natural sciences contained in the educational curriculum. The program also generates awareness on sustainable practices and the importance of a balanced diet, achieving a greater appreciation for and receptiveness toward the consumption of vegetables.

About Saint George School:

Saint George School is a British international school that is accredited by the Ministry of Education of the Dominican Republic, New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), Council of International Schools (CIS), and has been a member of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB) since 1995. It provides a challenging and comprehensive multilingual values-based education within a disciplined and respectful learning environment, empowering all learners to reach their maximum academic and personal potential. Although the school’s students are mostly young Dominicans (66%), it is fortunate to receive students from all over the world (34%). Saint George School is located in Santo Domingo’s Piantini neighborhood.

Read More:

www.eco-huertos.org

http://stgeorge.do/

www.globalfoundationdd.org

Santo Domingo, September 26, 2016

The workshop "El huerto en el currículo escolar ", the first of its kind in the country which is aimed at teachers of academic institutions, intends to build with the teachers of the participating academic centers dynamic activities and projects to implement with their students, where the school garden is the field of management of cognitive development, attitudes and values. The workshop, an initiative of GFDD EcoHuertos program took place during the months of August and September, in concurrence with the beginning of the 2016-2017school year.

The workshop was taught in several institutions across the island. In Santo Domingo, EcoHuertos coordinator Cristiana Minier visited 22 teachers of the Colegio Adventista Los Girasoles on Monday, August 8. On August 12 it was the turn of 15 teachers from Centro Educativo del Nivel Básico e Incial Paraguay, while on August 30, 17 teachers from Centro Educativo Profesor Juan Bosch attended the workshop.

On the other hand in the Monte Plata province, the workshop "El huerto en el currículo escolar” was introduces to 10 teachers from the elementary schools Centro Educativo Francisco del Rosario Sánchez and Escuela Caonabo.

The workshop was divided in three parts. To begin, there was a discussion on the construction of the garden concept: definition, benefits, purposes, types, vegetables, planting, care and maintenance of the garden. Then we proceeded to planning activities, dynamics and projects for the students, where the school garden can be the field of management of cognitive development, attitudes and values. To conclude for the day, activities proposed by teachers were defined, under Fundamental and Specific skills Curricular Design Dominican.

All teachers were very grateful and said they looked forward to the creation of the school vegetable garden as well as the whole process of training courses and workshops where they will be provided with the appropriate knowledge to manage the organic garden.

About EcoHuertos

The program seeks to support the creation of organic and sustainable vegetable gardens in schools and communities throughout the Dominican Republic, as well as support, through hands-on workshops, the areas of natural sciences contained in the educational curriculum. The program also generates awareness of the importance of a balanced diet, achieving a greater appreciation for and receptiveness toward the consumption of vegetables.

Related Links:  

www.eco-huertos.org 

www.globalfoundationdd.org

Location: Centro de Formación Técnico-Profesional René Descartes

Santo Domingo, August 8, 2016

The workshop "El huerto en el currículo escolar ", the first of its kind in the country which is aimed at teachers of academic institutions, was presented on Wednesday, August 3 at the Centro de Formación Técnico-Profesional René Descartes in Baní, in the province of Peravia. An initiative of the program EcoHuertos of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), it aims to introduce into the school curriculum to activities, dynamics and projects for the students, where the school garden is the field of management of cognitive development, attitudes and values, says the coordinator, Christian Cruz.

The training workshop, which was attended by 10 teachers, was divided into three parts. To begin, there was a discussion on the construction of the garden concept: definition, benefits, purposes, types, vegetables, planting, care and maintenance of the garden. Then we proceeded to planning activities, dynamics and projects for the students, where the school garden can be the field of management of cognitive development, attitudes and values. To conclude for the day, activities proposed by teachers were defined, under Fundamental and Specific skills Curricular Design Dominican.

Teachers attending this workshop expressed that opening the school year with this lesson has allowed them to "broaden the vision of the garden as an important component of the school and now include it formally in their lesson plans."

This workshop takes place in the framework of the work of EcoHuertos in creating sustainable and organic gardens in schools and communities in the Dominican Republic.

About EcoHuertos The program seeks to support the creation of organic and sustainable vegetable gardens in schools and communities throughout the Dominican Republic, as well as support, through hands-on workshops, the areas of natural sciences contained in the educational curriculum. The program also generates awareness of the importance of a balanced diet, achieving a greater appreciation for and receptiveness toward the consumption of vegetables.

Related Links:

www.eco-huertos.org

www.globalfoundationdd.org

Several employees of Editorial Funglode, participated today in a day of maintenance of the vegetable garden consisting of: weeding, soil removal, cleaning branches and dry leaves, pruning, filling containers, transplant and planting.

The garden of the Editorial Funglode is an urban garden, located in the center of the city of Santo Domingo. It is composed of a stonemason where direct seeding is done, but also wooden boxes, planters and pots are also used.

The vegetables that were planted this time were: celery, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and arugula. They have also sown: eggplant, broad coriander, leek, oregano, baby spinach, purple basil, green basil, rosemary.

The garden of the Editorial is integrated into the inner courtyard garden and is a great advantage as the beauty of ornamental plants combine with vegetables. In addition, it raises the wealth for pollinators such as birds, butterflies and bees, which is favorable for successful fruit production is increased.

Ornamental plants that were added to the garden’s setting were: Coralillo in its white, pink and red varieties; Isabel II, Doña Sanica, yellow and white flower varieties, Mexican bell and dandellions.

About EcoHuertos
The EcoHuertos program seeks to support the creation of organic and sustainable vegetable gardens in schools and communities throughout the Dominican Republic. It also supports hands-on workshops in the field of natural sciences contained in the educational curriculum. The program generates awareness on the importance of a balanced diet, contributes to food security and independence, as well as creation of small local business.

Related Links:
www.globalfoundationdd.org

Santo Domingo, June 20, 2016

The GFDD program EcoHuertos, as part of its goal to create sustainable and organic vegetable gardens in schools and communities in the Dominican Republic, will offer during the month of August, for the beginning of the school year 2016-2017, the workshop entitled "The Vegetable Garden in the Academic Curriculum ". The workshop, the first of its kind in the country, will be addressed to all teachers of the academic institutions.

The initiative of the GFDD program EcoHuertos aims to introduce in the academic curriculum projects, dynamics and activities to perform with students, where the school garden serves as tool to the management of the cognitive development of attitudes and values, as explains the Program Coordinator, Cristiana Cruz. It also seeks to define within the framework of the activities proposed by teachers, the fundamental and specific competencies and the contents (conceptual, procedural and attitudinal) that define the current curriculum.

“The school garden is a space where all members of the school community and students have the opportunity to engage in activities that relate to the environment in an experience that transcends the mere cultivation of crops. In this space, green not only means food, but also contemplation, relaxation and connection with nature and knowledge”, noticed Cruz.

About EcoHuertos

The program seeks to support the creation of organic and sustainable vegetable gardens in schools and communities throughout the Dominican Republic, as well as support, through hands-on workshops, the areas of natural sciences contained in the educational curriculum. The program also generates awareness of the importance of a balanced diet, achieving a greater appreciation for and receptiveness toward the consumption of vegetables.

Related Links: 

www.eco-huertos.org 

www.globalfoundationdd.org

Santo Domingo, May 22, 2016

Within the framework of the Recycling Olympics, activity held annually at the Centro para la Educación Dominica during the month of May, GFDD/Funglode’s program EcoHuertos hosted on May 20 a sowing day at the institution, which counted with the participation of 10 eighth and seventh grade students.

During the activity, the Program Coordinator of EcoHuertos, Cristiana Cruz Minier, through the Dialogic Inquiry Strategy, which consists of questions that encourage responses, comments and more questions from the students, explained concepts related to vegetables, gardens and the care of both.

Recyclable materials such as tires were used for the creation of the organic and sustainable garden. Vegetables such as spinach, Swiss chard, tomato, eggplant, pepper and leek were planted in the containers previously painted by the students.

About EcoHuertos

The program seeks to support the creation of organic and sustainable vegetable gardens in schools and communities throughout the Dominican Republic, as well as support, through hands-on workshops, the areas of natural sciences contained in the educational curriculum. The program also generates awareness of the importance of a balanced diet, achieving a greater appreciation for and receptiveness toward the consumption of vegetables.

Related Links: 

www.eco-huertos.org 

www.globalfoundationdd.org

Santo Domingo, May 2, 2016

In order to give continuity to the schedule of the EcoHuertos program and follow up on the work done by the students, Cristiana Cruz Minier, Coordinator of the GFDD´s program, visited, on April 28, Liceo de la República de Paraguay’s school garden. The interactive workshop involved 25 high school students accompanied by the Director of the institution, Iris Night, and Manager of the Vegetable Garden, Wilton de la Rosa.

After a tour of the garden, Cruz Minier through the Dialogic Inquiry Strategy, which consists of questions that encourage responses, comments and other questions from the students, raised the needs of the garden and its future perspectives.

The coordinator confirmed the excellent work done at the school, where students have not only planted and harvested radish, chayote, plantain, banana, taro, cassava, papaya, sweet potato, ginger, beans, tomato and pepper, but also, have often harvested mangoes and have grown a cocoa seedlings to give to the members of the school community who have requested them.

Looking into the future, they are now planning a cleaning day of an unused area of the school, to condition it and integrate it as part of the garden, as well as building planters for growing aromatic and medicinal plants.

About EcoHuertos

The program seeks to support the creation of organic and sustainable vegetable gardens in schools and communities throughout the Dominican Republic, as well as support, through hands-on workshops, the areas of natural sciences contained in the educational curriculum. The program also generates awareness of the importance of a balanced diet, achieving a greater appreciation for and receptiveness toward the consumption of vegetables.

Related Links: 

www.eco-huertos.org 

www.globalfoundationdd.org

Santo Domingo, January 29, 2016

This past Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27, Cristiana Cruz Minier, coordinator consultant of EcoHuertos, presented an Interactive Workshop on Basic Gardening to 78 students of 11th grade at Colegio Loyola, in Santo Domingo. 

The workshop was coordinated with the teacher responsible for the garden in the academic institution, Diana Murcia Sterling, within the curricular program of the Farming course. For the realization of the workshop several techniques were put into practice, such as the retrieval of previous experiences and dialoguing or questioning strategies, suggested by the Fundamentals of the Curriculum of the Dominican Republic. 

The students were introduced to the requirements for sowing, seed quality, and the production of seed beds, planting of seedlings, and transplants. Also, direct seeding, planting in containers and in bed garden, and compost, were subjects of the workshop. It deepened issues as the needs of water, light, temperature, and space for the establishment of an orchard, and in particular for some plants such as tomato, cucumber and baby spinach. It was also spoken about the importance of aromatic and ornamental plants in the garden, prepared a calendar of culture in relation to the school calendar and various projects, were suggested for such as the construction of a compost bin. 

Students participated vivaciously with questions and comments and presented the individual and group projects that have been planned for the second semester of the school year.

About EcoHuertos

The program seeks to support the creation of organic and sustainable vegetable gardens in schools and communities throughout the Dominican Republic, as well as support, through hands-on workshops, the areas of natural sciences contained in the educational curriculum. The program also generates awareness of the importance of a balanced diet, achieving a greater appreciation for and receptiveness toward the consumption of vegetables.

Related links: www.globalfoundationdd.org 

November 16, 2015

On November 10, the Children’s School Garden in La Romana hosted a basic cultivation workshop and work day in the two gardens created by the school through GFDD’s EcoHuertos program. Students and professors participated in an enormous array of tasks with the help of the initiative’s coordinators.

The basic cultivation workshop was held in the garden itself and consisted of dialogue and constant interaction between the program leader and the participants. This activity allowed students to analyze and apply the concepts learned about gardening in their Natural Science classes, previous workshops, and daily practice in the garden.

In addition, several Basic and Specific Competencies of the School Curriculum were put into practice: Communicative, Ethical, and Civic Competencies; Logical, Creative, and Critical Thinking; Problem Solving; Environmental and Health Competencies; and Personal Development. This workshop emphasized basic concepts related to the garden, cultivation and harvesting techniques, daily upkeep, gardening norms, etc.

The work day in the garden consisted of the following: waste removal, adding organic material to the compost heap, weeding, preparing containers to serve as seed pots, pruning, reorganization of the allotments, removing substrates from the allotments and seed pots, planting seeds and seedlings. These activities were done in groups made up of both sexes and various grade levels working in teams to foster continuity. 

We planted seeds and seedlings for basil, peppers, tomate, celery, summer spinach, baby spinach, eggplant, chard, lettuce, squash, radishes, onions, and leeks. 

www.globalfoundationdd.org

Along with screening over 30 inspiring films, the DREFF will host multiple community activities during the week of the festival this September. These activities range from demonstrations and contests to exhibits and hands-on activities. The goal of these activities at the DREFF is to promote dialogue and the exchange of knowledge and experience, and inspire Dominicans to adopt actions that contribute to the appreciation, conservation, and sustainable use of their environmental resources.

A special presentation on bees and beekeeping will take place on September 9th at 4 p.m. in the Funglode Auditorium in Santo Domingo. This event is in conjunction with the showing of the film Vanishing of the Bees, and will feature a live bee colony, beekeeping equipment, and products such as honey and beeswax!

A social media competition is set to take place throughout the whole week of the festival. Individuals can participate by sharing a photo or 15 second video of your favorite nature spot in the Dominican Republic on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, and inviting your followers/friends to meet there. The photo or video should highlight an action promoting the environmental protection of this spot. Be sure to use the hashtags #MiRincón, #RDsostenible and #DREFF, and make reference to @MuestraCine and @DominicanaOnline.

The photography exhibit, Oxygen, will be open in the Funglode gallery during the week of the festival, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day. In this exhibit, Spanish photographer Juan Carlos Vélaz offers a journey across the Dominican Republic, recounting his three year expedition exploring the country’s coastline, forests, hills, and other natural enclaves. Considering natural spaces to be as necessary to humans as the oxygen they breathe, Vélaz encourages us to visit the areas they photographed and protect them from degradation.

The ReCrearte Program, along with other Dominican organizations, will be hosting an arts showcase promoting recycling within the country by using found materials to create new and beautiful products. It will take place at the Funglode Gallery on September 13th from 2 to 8 p.m. A recycled art workshop will also be hosted by ReCrearte on September 11th at 10 a.m. The session is open to students and members of the BIJRD, and focuses on the principles of recycling and how to turn waste materials such as wood, plastic, and textiles into decorative objects of practical use such as bags, earrings, and other useful items.

Another event targeted toward the younger crowd is a walk and rally at the National Botanical Gardens in Santo Domingo. On September 10th, from 8 to 11 a.m., participants will trek through the National Botanical Gardens, learn new skills, and discover the extensive range of biodiversity contained in the Dominican Republic. Following a circuit through the gardens, the young guests will answer questions about Dominican flora and fauna and take part in several other entertaining activities, making it a fun morning to celebrate and enjoy nature!

Special clean-up events will also take place during the week. One, on September 12th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., will beautify the fishing community of Bajos de Hain with a beach cleanup and the painting of a wall mural promoting marine biodiversity in the country. Another will focus on Villa Consuelo on September 8th from 9 a.m to 12 p.m. This cleanup will finish with a decorative wall mural made of recycled materials collected during the cleanup.

A unique event focusing on short stories about nature and biodiversity will take place on September 9th at 10 a.m. Dominican photographer Eladio Fernández and Guatemalan photographer Marvin del Cid will narrate a slideshow that highlights the beauty of Dominican nature and its extensive biodiversity levels during this presentation at the BIJRD.

An environmental excursion, hosted by the RDescubre initiative, will take place on September 12th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The objective of this activity is to increase awareness among young people about the problems that plague coral reefs, while encouraging them to develop small-scale environmental projects and work as a team with other young people toward a better system and respect for the environment.

About the DREFF:
Since its creation in 2011, the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF)- an initiative of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode) -has been providing Dominicans with a platform of knowledge and debate on the environment and sustainable development, along with its challenges and best practices while celebrating the unique beauty and wealth that is the Dominican Republic’s natural heritage.

With a diverse selection of films and numerous panels, workshops, seminars, and community activities, the DREFF promotes dialogue and the exchange of knowledge and experience, inspiring Dominicans to adopt actions that contribute to the appreciation, conservation, and sustainable use of their environmental resources.

More information:
www.r3crearte.org
RDescubre

DREFF app:
Apple (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dreff/id1029535649?mt=8
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.sched.dominicanrepublicenvironmen2015
www.dreff.org / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Twitter @MuestraCine / Facebook MuestraCineMedioambiental

To see the complete program click here

The webpage for the fifth edition of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival is up and running in English and Spanish, just in time to start learning everything you need to know about this year’s films, international guests, panels, workshops, as well as community and special activities that will take place between September 8-13 in ten cities around the Dominican Republic.

The countdown has begun. The calendars are marked and everything you have wanted to know about the fifth edition of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) is now available on the official website. The entertaining and easy to use website will collect information on films, special guests as well as the cities and venues hosting the Festival from September 8-13. It will keep you on top of the screenings and activities that will revolve around a common theme this year: Toward an Agreement on Climate Change, United Nations 2015.

Over 25 venues comprise this year’s DREFF screening network in 10 cities: Santo Domingo, Santiago, Baní, San Francisco de Macorís, Puerto Plata, San Juan de la Maguana, La Vega, Samaná Bonao and Punta Cana.

Countries represented in this fifth are the Dominican Republic, Cuba, United States, Canada, Mozambique, Spain, France, England, India, Australia, the Netherlands and Germany.

Under three categories – “Personal Habits,” “Public Policies and Business” and “Inspiration”- the DREFF will show a total of 36 films this year, including features, short films, Dominican productions, retrospectives and GFDD’s own film productions.

A group of nearly 40 international and national guests will mix with the public at all film screenings where they will offer workshops, panels and round table discussions about cutting-edge issues in sustainable, socioeconomic development.

A celebration of the seventh art that brings together young people, academics, experts, activists, filmmakers, representatives from the public and private sectors, non-governmental organizations as well as a wide-ranging audience from all walks of life, all coming together to promote programs and projects that contribute to protection, conservation and environmental sustainability.

Thanks to our partners and collaborators
“Thanks to the invaluable participation of nearly 60 private institutions, both non-governmental and public, every September for the past five years the Festival reaches more than 7,000 viewers, with over 80 free film screenings,” said Natasha Despotovic, Film Festival Director and Executive Director of the GFDD.

Since its creation in 2011, the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival– an initiative of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode) – has been providing Dominicans with a platform of knowledge and debate on the environment and sustainable development, its challenges and best practices while celebrating the unique beauty and wealth that is the Dominican Republic’s natural heritage.

With a diverse selection of films and numerous panels, workshops, seminars and community activities, the DREFF, stressed Ms. Despotovic, “is promoting dialogue and exchange of knowledge and experience, inspiring Dominicans to adopt actions that contribute to the appreciation, conservation and sustainable use of their environmental resources.”

Fulfilling GFDD/Funglode’s commitment to contribute to meeting the Sustainable Development Objectives, the DREFF implements 5 programs that operate throughout the year and work with diverse communities: ReCrearte, EcoHuertos, RDescubre, Globo Verde Dominicano Award and Screening of Environmental Films.

In its mission to promote the production of environmental films and to raise the level of public awareness, the DREFF organizes the Premio Globo Verde Dominicano Award, the Year-Round Environmental Film Screenings program, produces its own documentaries and constantly updates the Film Festival’s blog.

The DREFF is a member of the Green Film Network, an international network that groups together 30 of the most important environmental film festivals in the world.

More information: www.globalfoundationdd.org

La Romana, Dominican Republic, April 23, 2015 

A group of students from Hogar del Niño School enthusiastically presented the harvest from their garden, which was planted a few months ago under the guidance of EcoHuertos, an initiative of GFDD/Funglode.

Rodolfo Mojica, the teacher in charge of the project, said the elementary students happily posed for the camera while showing the progress of their plants. The children planted lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, radishes, and other vegetables, whose seeds were donated by the EcoHuertos program. Mojica said, "Through this initiative children have the opportunity to develop their learning skills in natural sciences, interact directly with nature, acquire new and practical experiences on the importance of preserving the environment, and encourage individual and team work through the school garden.” 

The creation of the school garden is part of the objectives of the EcoHuertos program, which offers students a place for recreation, relaxation, and physical activity, while supporting the concepts of the natural sciences and experimental activities in the education curriculum.  

Since its inception, the EcoHuertos program has successfully created more than 20 gardens in various educational and community centers and homes in the provinces of Santo Domingo, Santiago, San Cristobal, Bani, Azua, and Monte Plata. 

More information: www.globalfoundationdd.org

March 21, 2015, Santo Domingo

The EcoHuertos urban garden at the Escuela Básica Concepción Bona in Hato Nuevo, Manoguayabo, is taking shape, since the team of students and teachers began the process of planting seedlings and seeds in four flower beds created last week. The event took place on Friday, March 20 under the guidance of Cristiana Cruz Minier, program coordinator.

Santo Domingo, February 24, 2015

After recently participated in the Induction Workshop of Eco-Huertos program, where they learned the basic techniques to create a sustainable garden, twenty members of the Funglode editorial in Esperilla, Santo Domingo joined with joy and enthusiasm to the first stage of the work to prepare their own garden in the institution. The process was supervised by Cristiana Cruz Minier, coordinator of the Eco-Huertos program.

Santo Domingo, February 4, 2015

Employees of Editorial Funglode participated in the Induction Workshop of Eco-Huertos program, where they learned the basic techniques to create a sustainable garden. The event, held on Friday, January 30, is part of the activities performed continuously by GFDD/Funglode's program Eco-Huertos, to raise awareness about the importance of a balanced diet and how we can get it through our own home garden.

Santo Domingo, January 23, 2015

As part of the monitoring program that is carried out with the schools that already have built their own garden, on January 22 the EcoHuertos Program Coordinator, Cristiana Cruz Menier, visited Colegio
Loyola in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic.

Santo Domingo, January 18th, 2015

The EcoHuertos program held its first workshop of the year on January 16th: it took place at Liceo Técnico Manuel del Cabral, located in El Almirante, in the municipality of East Santo Domingo, and comprised more than 50 people, including students, teachers, managers and support staff.

Santo Domingo, June 10, 2014

In celebration of World Environment Day, and as part of its mission to raise awareness and deepen the understanding of environmental issues, the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), a GFDD/FUNGLODE initiative, successfully carried out a series of events between June 6th and 9th.

Santo Domingo, May 21, 2014

Some two hundred and forty public school students participated in the 46th Eco-Visits Program for Environmental Education and Recreation, promoted by the Dominican Ministry of Environment’s Department of Education and Environmental Training. The event, which was organized in coordination with GFDD/FUNGLODE, began 9:30 am singing the notes of our Dominican National Anthem. Followed by the song "A Resforestar " performed by students of Altos de los Naranjos school, accompanied by the author Claudio Cohen.

Santo Domingo, January 24, 2014

On Tuesday January 28th, GFDD’s EcoHuertos program will be launching its new series of workshops with a training session on basic cultivation practices. This will be held at the Fray Ramon Pane School in Santo Domingo. A total of three new courses have been added to the program that will help build capacity and train students, teachers and parents on topics such as basic garden maintenance, organic composting and pollinators and pests. The training sessions will serve to complement the induction, garden building and seed conservation workshops that are already in place and provide second stage gardens with the necessary tools for the development of self-sustaining systems.

Barcelona, November 9, 2013

The Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), an initiative of GFDD and FUNGLODE, presented its year-round Environmental Program agenda at one of the most recognized festivals in Europe, the Environmental International Film Festival (FICMA) in Barcelona, Spain.