Third Millennium Alliance (TMA) was founded in 2007 with the purchase of 100 acres and the establishment of the Jama-Coaque Reserve (JCR) in the western province of Manabí, Ecuador, between the cities of Jama and Pedernales, and four kilometers inland. Now encompassing over 1,200 acres, the Jama-Coaque Reserve actively protects one of the last remaining fragments of Pacific Equatorial Forest, which is considered to be one of the most threatened tropical forests in the world. Learn more at www.tmalliance.org.
Internship Opportunities: Interns are to take on high-impact and dynamic projects in the fields of biological field research and sustainable food production. There is a tremendous amount of work to be done and experience to be gained – for interns and for us. Above all, creativity, innovation, and self-motivation are the fuel of our internship program. Immediately surrounding the house we are designing/growing/building a living laboratory of sustainable resource management (i.e. permaculture), which also serves as our field headquarters for biological scientific research and forest monitoring. We are offering an optional Permaculture Design Certification (PDC) course with this internship, to be taught throughout the two-month duration. There is a difference in price based on whether you choose to take the PDC course; please visit our website for more information: www.tmalliance.org/internships/program-cost. In addition to work managing the agroforestry production zone and organic vegetable garden, each intern is assigned a personal project, which is akin to a “thesis” of sort, but of a much more practical nature. Generally speaking, there are three categories of personal projects: 1) conservation biology research and 2) permaculture/ sustainable food production and land management, and 3) appropriate technology. The following is a list of some of the projects we’re looking to tackle during the upcoming sessions. Some are new projects and others are ongoing and multi-year projects. Projects with stars next to them are of high interest and priority. When applying please prioritize three projects from the list below in the order of most interest. Flora & Fauna Research: •*Monkey Troop Survey (Howler & critically endangered White Fronted Capuchin) •*Investigation of Endangered Avifauna - (Ornithology experience) •*Camera trap survey of wild felines* (ocelot, jaguarondi, etc) •*Herpetofauna survey* (reptile and amphibian diversity and abundance) Permaculture/Re-forestation/Food Production: •Production Zone Intensive – Focused on increasing food production, crop zonification & rotation, plant propagation, care/maintenance, integrated pest management and food preservation (ie, canning) •Reforestation - Last year we planted 6,500 trees in one portion of our re-forestation plot, and hope to plant another 8,000 next year. We want to keep this momentum going this year to plant even more trees and expand the project. Help manage tree propagation and planting efforts. •Green Building - Learn to use natural, recycled and sustainable building materials. Upcoming projects include building an earth-bag (aka super adobe) retaining wall, use cob to plaster walls, another cob layer on the pizza oven, re-floor the field station with bamboo. Appropriate Technology: •*Working with natural materials *(mainly, native bamboo and mate gourds) to build home appliances (e.g., cutlery, drinking cups, bowls, garden pots, balcony boxes, candle holders, etc.) •*Assist with development of alternative energy systems (ie. micro-hydro and solar) •*Design and build a non-electrical refrigerator* •Design and build a solar food dehydrator Late Summer Internship Dates: August 12-October 8, 2015 Late Summer Application Deadline: Sunday, June 21, 2015 To see a complete program description, please visit our “Internship” page on our website at www.tmalliance.org/internships. Here you can download the application form and contact details, as well as other media, such as photos, video, and the program FAQ. NOTE: When applying to the internship, please make sure to specify in your e-mail subject that you are applying for the Late Summer session, and whether you are interested in taking the PDC course. We look forward to working with you! Alex Brubaker Research & Intern Coordinator Third Millennium Alliance Quito, Ecuador www.tmalliance.org
