Suggested Program Highlights for the EL course “Sustainable Development and Ecological Restoration in Rural Colombia“
The following itinerary is subject to change depending on availability, schedules, class participants numbers, and overall class components. Last-minute additions and changes can only be done by request and are not guaranteed.
This itinerary is intended for the Team Colombia EL course class in the Spring Break of the academic year 2024
Flight Bookings: You should arrive in Bogotá by March 16 and depart anytime Sunday, March 24 or later.
Bogotá Hotel
We will book a hotel room with breakfast at the following Bogotá airport hotel the night of your arrival (March 16) and the night before your departure flight (March 23): Movich Buro 26 located at Avenida 26, Fontibon, 110001 Bogotá, Colombia
The Movich Buro 26 has a free airport shuttle every 30 minutes 24 hours a day. Pick-up at Gate 5. Contact (+57) 3175693975. Movich Buró 26 is located just 5-minutes away from El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá. It offers free Wi-Fi access.
March 16- 24, 2024
Saturday, March 16
Students and faculty arrive in Bogota (Stay in Bogota hotel provided).
Sunday, March 17
10:00 am Voyage to el Líbano, Tolima, Bus Transport, route- Cambao – Líbano.
13:00 Lunch: In restaurant ROLLING, VIANI
View of Magdalena River, Visit Armero historical town, view of Lagunilla River
18:00 Estimate Arrival to el Líbano, Tolima, Hotel Pantagora
Address: AVENIDA FUNDADORES CALLE 4 Nr 2 – 159
Dinner (Optional)
Monday, March 18
07:30 am- 08:30 am Breakfast Hotel Pantagora
08:30 am -9:30 am Introductory Welcome Meeting with the working team and local actors.
Ledis Arango, President Quinta Esencia Taller
Alex Trapp, Translator
Don Antonio, Coordination Manager
Sara Sanchez, Logistics Coordinator
Leo, El Pensar Farm Community leader
Meri, El Aguador Farm Community Leader
Deisy – Buena Vista Farm Community Leader
Julian – Tabuchia Farm Community Leader
Pedro – Vereda El Agrado Community Leader
Two Student leaders from the local High School – Educational Institute Isidro Parra
9:30 am Travel to Buena Vista Farm
Arrival at Buena Vista Farm – Nature Walk (interpretation and contextualization of rural accessibility and birdwatching)
Break – Refreshment
Workshop on Spiritual Restoration: In search of human harmony with Nature – Interaction and interconnection with local actors and neighbors. Walk through the successful implementation of ecological restoration on Steep Slopes.
Return to the Trucks – Nature walk
13:30 Lunch at Sky restaurant
15:00-17:00 Educational walk around one successful implementation of Ecological Restoration in pasture and its progress. Discussion about successes and failures in the Ecological Restoration project, locally and historically.
18:00 Dinner Hotel Pantagora
TRANSPORT – 4X4 Trucks
Tuesday, March 19
7:00am- 07:30 am Breakfast Hotel Pantagora
8 am Travel to El pensar
9 am – 10 am Workshop on Adaptive Management – Production, Nutrition (Fertilizer) and improvements in the production chain. How creating the ‘missing piece’ fertilizer can activate a local economy. Understanding the dynamics of coffee cultivation.
12 pm-13:00 Lunch – El Pensar Farm
13:30-16:00 Afternoon – Explore the successful implementation of Ecological Restoration around the Aguador/ Diamante farm.
Workshop: Ecotourism as a sustainable alternative.
Birdwatching within productive areas (coffee, sugarcane) enriched with native species (successful ecological restoration).
16:00–18:00 Dinner at Hotel Pantagora
TRANSPORT – 4X4 Trucks
Wednesday, March 20
07:30 am- 08:30 am Breakfast Hotel Pantagora
9:00 am Travel to Seedbank workshop on Buena Vista Farm
10:00 am Break
10:20 am- 11:45 am Activities – Seedbank workshop on heuristics for new ecosystems, recognizing helpful natives within the seed bank, woody stems vs herbaceous growth. Understanding the seed bank and recognizing the roles of birds and mammals.
12:00 pm – 13:00 pm Lunch – Buena Vista farm
13:30- 14:30 Nursery Workshop – Prepare Substrate and bags, plus alternative techniques. Discussions on Best practices for managing Secondary Forests, pruning, light management, verticality, and density. Discussions on Propagation and implementations by cuttings. Achieving the largest effect with the least financial investment.
19:00 pm: Dinner – LA RANCHITA – plus social activity
TRANSPORT – VANS
Thursday, March 21
07:30 am- 08:30 am Breakfast Hotel Pantagora
09:00 am Hands-on Strategic implementation – Erosion Control using cuttings harvested the day before; students will engage in erosion control in an eroded or critical area.
13:00 pm Traditional Lunch – EL AGRADO
14:00 pm – 15:30 pm Afternoon – Educational Institute Isidro Parra Presentation by Student Leaders Workshop about Divulgation and Digital Documentation of the activities
18:00 pm Dinner – Hotel Pantagora
Friday, March 22
6:00 am Leave early for a visit to Thermal Vent ‘El Sifon’ – National Nature Park ‘Los Nevados’.
9:30 am Breakfast – Tabuchia Farm Nature Walk – Workshop on utilizing seed bank heuristics (day 4) in a new ecosystem. Walking through a secondary forest, identify native seedlings to rescue.
12:00 pm- 13:00 pm Lunch – Tabuchia Farm
13:30 pm- 16:00 pm Hands-on Implementation of native rescues into pastureland. Creating a future Secondary Forest.
Transport – 4 X 4 Trucks
Saturday, March 23
06:30 am – 07:30 am: Breakfast – Hotel Pantagora
08:00 am – Transportation to Bogotá
Logistics and local operations: Sara Sánchez
Whatsapp: +57 3204554201
mail: sarinsan@hotmail.com
Hotel in Bogota provided.
Sunday, March 24
Students depart.
