Journal # 2 ECHO

Robert Hill

Journal #2

ECHO Trip

ECHO stands for, "Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization", the organization was originally named "Educational Concerns for Haiti Organization". Two men first created the not for profit non-denominational Christian organization and focused on small scale agricultural production. ECHO's main emphasis is on problem solving, networking, and education. 60-70% of the organization's funding comes from donations by private entities, other sources of revenue include sale of plants and gift-shop retail. During our guided walk I learned a great deal about different types of plants and how we can use them. Bamboo for example can be used for scaffoling, construction, irragation, and the leaves from the tree are actually good to feed the cattle with. The Neem plant can be used as a type of pharmasudical, the shoots of the plant can be used to clean teeth, the oil is an effective insect repelant and disinfectant. The Moringa plant was by far the most amazing plant that I have ever heard of. Roots of the plants can be ground up into a paste similar to horseradish, bark can be woven into mats, and the leaves are EXTREMELY nutritious ( 4 times the calcium of milk, 3 times the Potassium of banana, and 5 times the vitamin-C of oranges). It is easy to see how this is ECHO's most important seed export. The plant is actually so beneficial to one's health that in poor third world countries where AIDS plague people's health it can actually strengthen their immune system allowing them to live a longer healthy life.

ECHO also uses a variety of sustainable practices while raising their crops. Wormiculture, which is using worms to break down organic matter, was one way in which they create fertilizer. The worm castings are very high in nitrogen and when diluted can be used as an excellent fertilizer. In one of the ponds on the property they used duck droppings and algae growth to support a stock of Tilapia. Another thing that really opened my eyes during the trip was when we walked through the "Shanty Town" area. It was amazing to see how people in countries like Haiti had to live in these tiny shacks. What was even more crazy was the the unique farming techniques that ECHO was experimenting with for these places to use.

The field trip over all was very enjoyable and it really gave me a greater understanding of sustainability, uses of plants for humans, and how much other parts of the world rely on these raising crops to survive.

Colloquium

Robert Hill
Nature Experiences

Growing up I had quite a bit of interactions with the "Natural" Environment. I was born and raised in St. Pete, Florida, which is not exactly the most forested area in Florida. But I was lucky enough to experience the environments that were around my home. My father taught me how to fish at a young age since we lived on the intra-coastal waterway. Many days after grade school all the way through high school I would take the kayak out and go fishing or simply lose myself among the mangroves as I observed the shorebirds and other animals around me. I was also lucky enough to have experiences with environments that are very different to Florida's. My father owns a time share in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. So one week out of every year we would go up there in winter and I could play in the snow and appreciate the vast mountain ranges along the horizon. I believe that some of these early interactions with the environment gave me a greater respect and awareness of the earth and ultimately led me to choose the Environmental Studies pathway that I am involved in today.