shortly after graduating from the university of new mexico with a degree in american indian education, i applied for a teaching job in my pueblo community. in 2017, i was hired as the edible foods garden teacher for grades kindergarten to eighth grade. the garden class was considered an elective to help revitalize healthy eating habits for students.

the school administration was hoping i would collaborate with language teachers and community elders to support language development. i was invited to work with language teachers to develop gardening lessons, but the school was remodeling its garden space. i asked the district for support, but it lacked a school curriculum for the subject.

during my prep hours, i searched for indigenous gardening practices, but none were published. without much luck, i was forced to research lesson plans using the reggio emilia approach, built on the idea that the environment is the third teacher, and the waldorf education model, which supports the idea that children learn through integrated approaches like connection to nature and creativity.

even with these frameworks, planning for 16 classes was nearly impossible. every day, i felt like i was failing my students by not knowing how to teach them about gardening. it was easier for us to go on nature walks and engage in discussions while we harvested native plants until we encountered reptiles and inclement weather. the school days were filled with transitions and attendance tracking, and limited teaching.

i was distressed to the point of resigning. instead, i applied to a ph.d. program at the university of arizona focused on children’s and young adult literature in a diverse world. 

planting new seeds

under the guidance of my dissertation chair, kathy short, ph.d., i began studying picturebooks by american indian and indigenous authors. my research focuses on themes of settler colonialism, ecology, and climate anxiety, and i became especially interested in traditional ecological knowledge (tek) and environmental justice.

as part of my course requirements, i had to enroll in the university of arizona’s school garden workshop. i learned about community and school gardens. the workshop centered on the sgw almanacs, funded by the sprouts healthy communities foundation. the almanacs are a free resource for teachers, students, and the community, and they serve as the textbook for the sgw class. my focus was on learning how to create and design curricula. maria celis became my mentor.

while working as a student intern for two schools, i worked with maria to introduce gardening to fourth graders and middle schoolers. while working in the agrivoltaic garden, a fourth-grade student showed me how to measure seed holes using my finger after i noticed students sticking their fingers in the soil then adding a couple of lettuce seeds then covering the hole with a quick sweep.

i was reminded of my youth. when i was a child, i learned how to plant vegetables by watching my parents. the fourth graders were very welcoming and i felt connected to the garden and place.

in time, my grandma’s favorite succulent found me. purslane is a superfood that grows abundantly in the middle school garden. it has a lemon-like flavor and pairs well with eggs or salads. some middle schoolers are from mexico, and purslane reminds them of home and family. we would harvest the leaves and eat them together. purslane is a gift which invites elementary and middle school students to share about foods and recipes from their communities. we host tea parties and share in celebrating our garden and harvests. a smile is always present when i find the superfood in the garden beds. the taste reminds me of home.

fostering relationships with plants and students helped me feel connected to my pueblo community. in my pueblo, we would harvest vegetables with others and eat our gifts in gratitude. maria and her husband often bring their outside grill to cook eggs and sauté vegetables.

together with students, we plant vegetables, care for each seedling, and then we harvest them. after gardening, we transition into creating art in the garden. sometimes we weave textiles or pinch clay into tea cups and soup bowls.

during my favorite maria lesson, we made pinch pot cups and bowls for our annual citrus tea and stone soup lesson. afterwards, we molded soil blocks for planting and practicing math.

the garden activities supported my graduate assistantship work in indigenous food, energy and water systems (native fews).

a new dream, in full bloom

while working as a student intern for the school to garden workshop, i began communicating with the service to all my relations (star) charter school in flagstaff, ariz., close to the navajo (diné) nation border.

in january 2025, maria and i hosted a textile and dyeing workshop to introduce the sgw almanac to star school’s principal, jeannie gross, and two native fews educators. we asked principal gross if we could design an almanac for her region, but said she would have to meet with the board before accepting our request.

almost a year later, in july 2025, star school invited the sgw team to its campus to explain the almanac design process to administrators, board members, and community collaborators. we worked together to adapt it to the colorado plateau region, starting in leupp, ariz., where star school is located. we began working on a new school-specific almanac focused on gardening using the stars.

as a team, we defined an eco-region for the almanac. we discussed the importance of incorporating a navajo (diné) planting calendar, specific to the position of the big dipper. ultimately, the position of the stars inspired us to develop an almanac that will include storytelling and traditional ecological knowledge to track climate change.

this process is an example of reciprocity, storytelling, and decolonial approaches to education. 

as a student intern who is learning how to work with tribal communities, i am glad to be able to provide a guidebook that will help edible food and garden teachers with finding resources, offering stories and activities using the stars. this will be the first community-curated guidebook that will invite indigenous nations in the colorado plateau region to share information about their shared eco-region, like what native plants can be harvested and when. this almanac will highlight the past, present, and future.

as a child, i grew up learning not to waste food. i often wonder why i, and many others across the globe, lost sight of that lesson as we grew up. 

lately, i’ve started to love cooking. but this newfound activity comes with some important questions: why does it hurt when no one eats the leftovers of the food i made? why doesn’t it hurt when i throw the last couple bites of someone else’s hard work away? why do i spend on groceries that i won’t eat? why am i not the only one that makes these mistakes? 

food is a powerful force in our lives and the degree to which we waste it has serious environmental, social, economic, and civil impacts. food is also powerful enough to bring communities and cultures together and i’d love to help people gain more respect for food. 

this video was filmed over the fall of 2025 during a time when the government shutdown in the united states had halted snap benefits for millions of americans. the video focuses on how i, and the people around me, view food and what that relationship looks like. 

every summer it seems to get a little hotter. here in chevy chase, maryland, the air gets thick with heat and humidity. last year, nbc bay area reported that “earth recorded its hottest year ever in 2024.”

a few summers ago, hugo used to love to lay out on the stone patio in our backyard, and let the sun shine on his fur. i guess it was his way of sunbathing. but lately he has been spending much more time inside.

when we go for walks, he struggles to breathe. sometimes he just stops walking, turns around, and faces the direction of the house. he doesn’t seem happy until we get back inside where the air conditioning keeps everything nice and cool.

his face lets me know that he misses the old days. the days where he would spend hours chasing toys and sticks outside, or hanging out with other dogs. one day over last summer, he went to a dog park, just like the old times. it was another hot day, and – you guessed it – there were no other dogs there, it was too hot.

hugo’s discomfort doesn’t just happen when he’s outside. later in the summer, i noticed that hugo began to itch around his ears and stomach. ticks again. we took him to the vet where he was checked for lyme’s disease. lyme’s disease causes joint paint, fatigue and loss in appetite. when we noticed the ticks on hugo again, we washed him as well as we could and then headed to the animal hospital to get him treated. 

tick season has been extended in recent years to account for warmer autumn months. additionally the population of ticks has increased due to the warmer weather, which allows for much more breeding and the creation of more nurturing environments that allow ticks to live and grow. eventually, these ticks find their way onto host animals, just like hugo.

hugo has not only been bothered by the ticks, but the mosquitos that swarm around him. when we spoke to the veterinarian at the animal hospital, she mentioned two mosquito-related illnesses that can impact dogs like hugo: anaplasmosis and rocky mountain spotted fever.

both illnesses can cause fever, aches, nausea, and let untreated, have more serious symptoms. as the climate continues to change and shift to create more warm environments, we can expect to see changes in insect populations and associated diseases that they carry.

i look at hugo sitting comfortably in our air-conditioned house, and he appears to reminisce on the days when it was cold. in those winter months, his thick fur coat keeps him warm and protects him from the harsh winds. but while i’m writing this, it is still summertime, and he can barely enjoy a walk around the block, let alone sunbathe in the backyard. not being able to go out for regular walks and play means that hugo rarely exercises. this lack of exercise takes a huge toll on his health, especially his heart. i wonder if hugo is as worried as i am about his quality of life.

hugo probably has no idea what is causing these environmental changes. but he seems to know that he has been impacted. he has gained a lot of weight and become more sluggish from his lack of exercise. i wonder whether he can sense the abnormalities in the environment like the constant buzzing vector species and the thickness of the air caused by increases in pollution and carbon.

if hugo could really talk, i bet he would implore humans to make some changes. he would beg us to  engage in new behaviors and actions to bring an end to climate change. in the meantime, i suspect he just dreams about the day that his life returns to normal, and he can enjoy summertime like he did when he was puppy.

the e.m. mills rose garden and thornden park: two green spaces neighboring each other that offer beauty, rest, community, and so much more to the city of syracuse, new york.

in an urban area full of buildings, traffic, construction, and noise, the rose garden and thornden park are gems of the city. both are supported by knowledgeable associations that advocate for the spaces, as well as volunteers who work hard to keep the spaces welcoming and accessible. this photo essay represents the beauty of these green spaces, and of the people who contribute so much of their lives to support them. 

click on the presentation below to see the full story!

to learn more about how this type of climate policy is implemented across hundreds of european cities, watch the video above!

bats have a bad reputation, according to owen hejna, an ecologist at the lincoln park zoo in chicago. many people have a “horrible misconception” that bats are good for spreading rabies, sucking blood, and not much else, hejna said.

but the bat tracker community science project, an initiative through the lincoln park zoo’s urban wildlife institute (uwi), seeks to change that.

hejna, a 2024 graduate of loyola university of chicago, is the community science coordinator of uwi’s bat monitoring program. the initiative brings together volunteers in the chicagoland area for a unique citizen science project, while simultaneously educating the public about the benefits of bats.

for instance, according to hejna, bats are not only critical for pollinating crops and reducing nocturnal pests like mosquitos: they are also responsible for saving lots of money in the agricultural industry. by eating pests — such as lepidopterans, or moths — they protect crops, in turn saving an estimated $1 billion in the corn industry alone, according to a stanford university study.

how the bat tracker works

established in 2018, the bat tracker program gathers volunteers for “bat walks” to conduct acoustic monitoring. this monitoring allows uwi to collect data about bat populations and the challenges they face in chicago. the bat walks take place in 25 different locations, including recent expansions to neighborhoods in the south side and the city of evanston.

volunteers walk a roughly hourlong route at their monitoring site, equipped with a backpack, a microphone that picks up ultrasonic noise, and an ipad that receives the data. the technology, called echo meter, is able to identify bat species based on their calls. the team at uwi then uses this information to visualize the activity of bat populations in different regions of the city. in 2024, 7,300 bat calls were recognized over the course of 105 bat walks. 

this mobile monitoring is supplemented by stationary monitoring systems, where ultrasonic recorders are strapped to trees in a forest reserve. for over a week, the recorders collect data from sunset to sunrise each night. the stationary monitoring project mostly takes place at different locations from the bat walks, including natural spaces as far outside of chicago as the palos forest preserves south of the city and preserves near o’hare airport. this “urban-rural gradient” is used to “analyze how bats are using natural areas at different levels of urbanization,” hejna wrote in an email.

helping chicago’s bats thrive

so how is the data put to use? hejna said that the goal of the bat monitoring program is to study how cities can “build up [their] green spaces to better suit urban bat populations.” 

while agricultural benefits don’t necessarily apply to downtown chicago, bats also provide a wealth of advantages in urban spaces, including maintaining urban biodiversity, according to hejna. 

additionally, keeping track of bat populations allows scientists like hejna to monitor the spread of white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that has been decimating north american bat populations for more than 20 years. the program’s establishment in 2018 was largely in response to the initial detection of white-nose syndrome in illinois.

the community engagement aspect of the program also strives to decrease the stigma around urban bat populations. getting volunteers involved allows people to learn that bats are present (and even prevalent) in chicago, and to understand how to appropriately handle human-wildlife interactions with bats.

the data collected from bat walks can also be used to determine the impacts of some of the “anthropomorphic” characteristics of chicago that bat populations struggle with, such as urban noise, artificial light, and human-wildlife interactions, according to hejna.

in turn, hejna said, this information gives city planners and engineers better insight to inform city planning so that “urban areas can be better planned with wildlife in mind.”

this massive following didn’t happen overnight. trigueiro started his career back in 1988 when brazil was emerging from a military dictatorship. he was a reporter for a state-run radio station before going to grupo globo in 1993. to this day, globo is the largest media conglomerate in brazil, both on television and in print. 

his rise to success is notable, not just for its sheer scale, but also for the fact that trigueiro’s work is explicitly environmental, pushing sustainability solutions into brazil’s public consciousness. as a professor at pontifícia universidade católica do rio de janeiro, he also inspires journalism and communications students to contend with sustainability issues and to prioritize environmental reporting. 

as an exchange student taking trigueiro’s class this semester, i had the opportunity to sit with him for an interview about his career, environmental reporting, and the necessity for collective awareness regarding the damage we’re doing to the space we live in. 

the contents below have been translated from portuguese and edited for length and clarity.

alexia massoud: your show,  “cidades e soluções,” started in 2006 and covers environmental solutions, natural resources, and energy in brazil, which has really helped bring sustainability into your audience’s lives. can you tell me a bit more about the show and how it came together? 

andré trigueiro: it’s a program that’s almost 20 years old, and its purpose is to showcase what works in different settings: public sector, private sector, and non-governmental organizations. we talk about the problems of modernity and how to solve them.

it’s a very broad pitch, and we face the challenge of being the only program on the open network/cable tv with the word “solutions” in its title, which forces us to be very careful not to legitimize projects that don’t deserve to be on the “solutions” shelf. we make an effort to refrain from getting into a sinking boat. it’s complicated, but we try. therefore, we take great care to find a topic that deserves the visibility we’ll give it.

am: do you find it difficult to find these stories?

at: no, but it requires a lot of resources. if i just did that, i could do about three shows a week. so we have to take big steps, which is sometimes a bit of a sacrifice. a 25-minute edited show each week is something that requires a team, but we’ve managed to get the job done. it’s a program that has inspired public policy. i’ve already received feedback from environmental ministers and businesspeople who saw the program and replicated it.

am: you have a large online following, and you’ve grown a lot as a journalist. do you think there’s a difference between your online persona and your work in the studio? how have you found a balance, and do you struggle with it?

at: at work, there are expectations set for my performance in relation to the product. on social media, i am who i am. basically, the difference is this: i am my own host, and i define the direction. there’s an intention not to trivialize social media, not to be relegated to cheap entertainment — i try to delve deeper, to use social media in an inspiring way, where i can point the way and open paths.

i’m still careful about the fact that i’m also on television. possibly, the day i’m no longer on television, i’ll have a freer, more light-hearted, and relaxed approach to some topics on social media. but most of the content i share is in the first person: it’s me. there’s no product i’m selling; just me.

am: when did you start to grow more online? do you remember when you started getting so much traction?

at: oh, i started on twitter, which was my favorite network until elon musk bought it. i didn’t want to monetize a business owned by someone i don’t respect and whose ideas and way of thinking i disagree with completely. so i left twitter with about 700,000 followers. but if i were really concerned about being popular on the network, if that were my goal, i wouldn’t do hour-long live streams. instagram itself says that if it’s longer than three minutes, it won’t be pushed out. but i don’t care.

am: how do you feel your impact on social media is, then?

at: i try to fill this space with content. there are a lot of people interested in content on social media, so i think it’s the meeting of hunger and the desire to eat. if i have any resonance in terms of followers, i think it’s because of this. i try to discipline myself regarding appealing content and try to follow a very honest line. i won’t sell myself short to get engagement. if they find my content interesting, great, if not, life goes on.

am: following this path of impact, as you have been teaching here at puc since 2004, tell me more about why you wanted to become a professor and bring this impact to your classes.

at: i’m the son of two educators. i enjoy teaching. it’s an exercise in communication. therefore, all my activities have communication in common. journalism, social media, teaching, writing… i’m communicating. this communication with kids is part of my utopia: i think it’s worth it because it will have some kind of impact.

i have former students who have risen in the profession, and i sometimes notice that they carry a journalistic vision that has some component of this righteous indignation against the unsustainable model of development, the need for us to point the way toward sustainability, etc. i come here to do what i believe is my obligation: to have this contact with young people and seek to foster this attitude.

am: very cool. are you disappointed with the current state of the world compared to what it was 30-or-so years ago in your career?

at: i think tension is rising due to the clash of ideas, which is exacerbated in communication by denialism, fake news, and the industrial-scale production of disinformation. on the one hand, while we’ve improved several aspects — the public and private sectors, legislation, and awareness — on the other, we’re faced with repressed ignorance and stupidity.

of course no one knows everything, but proudly asserting ignorance causes problems and leads to exalted stupidity. this has worsened; it’s not good. the writer ariano suassuna once said, “the optimist is a fool, the pessimist is a bore; i prefer to be a hopeful realist.” that’s who i am; i’ll do my part. whether it will work or not, i don’t know, but it’s up to me to do what i believe is possible to turn this around.

am: do you think the environmental issue has become partisan?

at: we won’t change the game without public policy. formal policy must enter the fray. if there are no rules, laws, ordinances, or resolutions that come from above and organize routines from the perspective of regulating the private and public sectors, it’s pointless. we need political leaders who aren’t disconnected from reality. the real world is one where the planet cries out, and we won’t get far if we don’t heed the cry of the earth. the environmental issue is embedded in the following paradigm: it’s not save the whales, save the forests, or save the amazon. it’s save yourself.

when we talk about the environment, we’re saying we want clean drinking water, breathable air, fertile soil for planting — the basics. there shouldn’t be, at this point in the game, any doubt about what it means to not combat illegal deforestation, not accelerate the energy transition, etc. this debate shouldn’t be taking place, but it is. we can’t cry over spilled milk; we have to do our part.

am: so you would call yourself an activist?

at: no, and i don’t like that term, because anyone who calls me an activist tries to discredit my journalistic side. journalism is not activism; it’s based on facts, it seeks to be well-founded with good sources, and it tells stories that are investigated with journalistic rigor. you’ll listen to those who produce knowledge, who have relevant information. you’ll report what you’re seeing, the places you go, whether reporting crimes, problems, violations, or pointing out paths, solutions, and perspectives. 

so, i’m a journalist. i’m a citizen in tune with my times. now, you can’t live in the realm of ideas, so you have to roll up your sleeves and do things. an american thinker named ross perot said something interesting: an activist isn’t someone who says the river needs to be cleaned — an activist is someone who rolls up their sleeves and goes and cleans the river.

i find this definition very inspiring; in that sense, perhaps i am an activist, because i’m not just a journalist who reports or shows what they think is appropriate. in my private life, in the choices i make every day, i strive to be consistent with what seems to me to be the expression of truth. i am a planetary ecological citizen.

am: do you have any plans for the future, perhaps for a master’s or doctoral degree related to sustainability?

at: academia isn’t my thing. but i’ve never made many plans in my life, and it just happened. an important message for the youth: keep going. listen to your heart, do what makes your eyes shine, what gives you pleasure. and from there, the paths will invite you. you think you’re choosing things, but actually, things are choosing you. i don’t think i chose the environmental field. i entered something that was waiting for me.

am: how do you handle everything you have to do?

at: strength, courage, and faith. every day we seek energy in utopia, in the things we believe in, in the realization that life isn’t a matter of chance and that we’re here for a reason. when we try to discover that reason, paths open up.

am: how do you get your audience to really care about environmental issues?

at: journalism reports facts. we need to tell stories that resonate with people, so they understand the sense of urgency and the need for individual and collective action. we need to make people feel like they’re participating in a reform, a revolution, a change in habits, behaviors, lifestyles, and consumption patterns.

we must professionally act ethically and correctly in reporting the facts while demonstrating a sense of urgency. we can’t keep postponing a new way of existing; the planet can’t take it anymore. we’re leaving a horrific ecological footprint that’s already threatening essentials: clean freshwater, fertile soil, breathable air, and the climate crisis. we have to be efficient in our communication work, which generates a desire to do something different.

am: do you have any advice for anyone looking to get into journalism?

at: be well-informed, access information from good sources, always seek to refresh your knowledge, and enroll in courses so you can tell stories with greater depth, skill, and quality information. if it’s in the environmental and climate field, take courses, seek out educational content, read, and listen to podcasts. i’ve been teaching at puc for 21 years, and i don’t teach the same classes today as i did last year. it’s a never-ending process, and that’s a good thing because the world is in flux, and so is knowledge and the magnitude of this crisis.

am: well-said. thank you so much!

on roughly opposite ends of the pacific ocean, guam and the galápagos are as alike as we are different. our islands enjoy warm weather, warm people, and contrasting marine environments that freedivers cannot resist. for the purposes of underwater exploration, freediving is the purest and most natural way to experience the ocean. when we dive, we accept the limitations of our bodies imposed on us by the ocean and our biology. we sense we are vulnerable and in it we find the freedom, the power to explore the depths of the water and of ourselves. in the galápagos, i was able to do both and meet like-minded fellows.

upon arriving in the galápagos, i immediately connected with fellow freedivers who also happen to be galápageños, or residents of the archipelago. johan recaurte is a freediving videographer with national geographic lindblad-expeditions and a fifth generation galápageño.

as one native to another, johan said something that grabbed my attention: “you look like our people from the coast.” however, guam is nearly 15,000 km away from ecuador. johan shared that he thought we might be distantly related as there are stories of rafts drifting across the pacific and that we might share common ancestors. he saw the necklace i wore with a pendant made from a spondylus oyster shell. to my surprise, he said his people used spondylus shells as money. although we do not know if ancient chamorus, the native inhabitants of guam, used the shells as money, archeological records tell us that they were valuable and culturally significant, as our dead were buried adorned with strings or pendants of the shells.

it is always interesting for islanders to compare and contrast our cultural practices in and around the water. because it’s an unfortunately common part of the island experience to lose a friend or relative to the ocean, many of us are forbidden from going into the water as children. so, when we eventually find our way to explore the underwater world, the experience is life changing. never more than 15 minutes away from a beach while growing up on guam, i did not learn to swim until i was an adult. johan had a very different experience.

johan found his journey to the water in stages. first, he learned how to catch lobsters with his uncles. i was unsurprised to learn that we use the same techniques in our islands to catch the crustaceans. next, johan became a surfer, which naturally taught him to hold his breath: when a wave passes over your head, it is up to the ocean when you get to come back up. after college at the age of 23, johan expanded his dive training. i asked him if freediving changed anything in him and it most certainly did.

“in some ways i appreciate this place more. i… i realized that this place is so important to the world, to the planet. not only for our country, but for the planet too. because when i learned about these ocean currents [from antartica], this idea that we have an area of upwelling plankton. and also here we have so much endemic sea life, and this is an area where a lot of animals come to give birth or come to mate. so, it is something that made me think that i need to do something to help this place — to keep this place.” -johan recaurte

johan is not alone in his belief in the power of freediving to transform oneself and cultivate a deep attachment to a place. alan jacome is a third generation galápageño and the second freediver i got to connect with in the galapagos. walking through the town to meet alan was an experience in and of itself: picture a woman selling tuna between the road and the waterfront while a sea lion, marine iguanas, and several large sea birds clamber around her. i met alan through a mutual friend, jesse dubois jazzar, who is a freediving instructor-trainer. at the invitation and insistence of jesse, alan received training and became a certified freediver. he instantly loved it, pouring himself into the sport and eventually becoming a freediving instructor, too.

i asked alan if freediving changed how he saw his islands. he answered, oddly, by explaining what kinds of permits he has. “you have to have a license to become a tour guide here. by ecuadorian and local law, there are different kinds of licenses for different kinds of activities. when i started freediving, i wanted to get a license to show people our sea life in the ocean, too,” he said. after freediving around the galápagos with sharks, turtles, sealions, penguins, marine iguanas, and flying birds that swim underwater, i would feel the same. 

alan was so moved by the dual experience of his freediving training and underwater exploration that he immediately wanted to share it with others as part of his profession and pride as a galápageño. freediving has that effect.           

it is difficult to explain and understand freediving without experiencing it properly. scuba diving is not quite an apt comparison. because we intentionally pause breathing and because we do not rely on a tank, every moment underwater is more profound. our land-dwelling humanity and presence in the ocean are called into question, while at the same time we feel a deeper connection with our planet.

we simultaneously feel the greatest sense of belonging in the present as well as returning to our evolutionary home from before any animal had a foot to set on land. the deeper you go, the more pressure there is. this can be crushing if you are not ready for it. if you are, it feels like the ocean is giving you a hug and welcoming you to its embrace.

panamic cushion star.

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farron taijeron

a mexican hogfish.

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farron taijeron

taijeron observes an anemone.

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farron taijeron

galápagos penguins dart back and forth.

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farron taijeron

taijeron observes a school of galápagos grunt.

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farron taijeron

taijeron swims with a curious sea lion.

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farron taijeron

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editor’s note: lindblad expeditions, our planet forward storyfest competition partner, made these series possible by providing winners with an experiential learning opportunity aboard one of their ships. we thank lindblad expeditions for their support of our project.

]]> //m.getitdoneaz.com/story/mercury-free-mining-peru/ mon, 16 jun 2025 23:04:01 +0000 //m.getitdoneaz.com/?p=47680
in peru’s amazon jungle of madre de dios (meaning mother of god), two worlds of gold mining exist side by side. 

in one world, artisanal and small-scale gold miners (asgm) use toxic mercury that contaminates rivers and soils, poisons the fish — their main protein source, and threatens their health. even if the miners avoid inhaling mercury vapors during the gold extraction process, they will still likely consume it by eating contaminated fish from local waters, according to claudia vega, coordinator of the mercury program at the center for amazonian scientific innovation (cincia) in madre de dios, creating an inescapable cycle of poisoning. 

in another world, women like señora griselda zubizarreta and señora lucila huanca are demonstrating that economic necessity does not always have to conflict with environmental stewardship. they have stopped using mercury in their mining efforts, started selling mine waste (typically fine stones) as construction material, and are finding ways to regenerate the degraded lands. trees are replanted in their closed mines and supplementary livelihood options, such as cattle grazing and fish farming, are being explored.

these women are setting an example for the rest of the women-led mining concessions — a permit or contract that gives private companies the rights to extract minerals from public lands — in madre de dios, which account for approximately 30% of all mining concessions in peru, as reported by the united nations department of economic and social affairs. experts like gabriela wiederkehr-guerra, a scientist with the wyss academy for nature, see tremendous potential in these women-led initiatives, especially given the fact that the artisanal and small scale mines alone account for 38% of the global mercury emissions.

the mercury problem: understanding the environmental stakes

mercury, an incredibly toxic chemical that can be dangerous to humans, isn’t just found in old school thermometers. vega’s research has uncovered that mercury is found in dangerously high quantities in animals across mainland south america. “for example, (in one measurement of a) green kingfisher, we registered 72 parts per million,” she said, comparing that figure to a mean of just five parts per million in non-continental areas.

this finding is particularly alarming because mercury isn’t just any pollutant; it’s a neurotoxin with devastating effects. “mercury is one of the 10 most toxic substances,” vega said. “it can cross the placenta and affect fetal development, leading to severe deformities.”

cincia’s work has been groundbreaking for the region. “before that, any mercury sample had to be sent to lima or outside peru,” she said. “there was no capacity to do mercury analysis here. so this was the first thing that the program did, building local capacity.”

this research underscores why mercury-free mining practices represent such a critical innovation. “mercury is a liquid metal; it cannot just be easily destroyed,” vega said. “you can neutralize it by bonding it with something like sulfur, but it will stay there unless properly managed.”

the program has extended beyond research to practical interventions. “we worked with communities to identify fish with lower mercury levels and explored alternative food sources to reduce exposure,” vega said, highlighting the importance of community engagement in addressing environmental health issues.

inheriting & transforming a father’s legacy

standing on her family ranch in madre de dios, señora griselda zubizarreta points to her pastures where healthy cattle now graze on nutrient-rich grasses. just four years ago, the picture was dramatically different. zubizarreta and her sister, upon the death of her father and brother — the male pillars of the family business, faced a daunting inheritance: a struggling cattle operation with depleted soil and malnourished animals, alongside a small-scale mining operation fraught with security concerns.

“i started crying in the field because i didn’t know what to do,” zubizarreta said. “my father ran the cattle business. when he left us, it was different. i had to manage the business to survive.” 

community expectations were not particularly encouraging. “people didn’t think we could sustain the legacy,” she said. “they didn’t believe women could succeed in the industry that my father had built.”

rather than retreating from this challenge, zubizarreta leaned in, seeking knowledge that would allow her to maintain and transform her inheritance. “i can’t let this go,” she said. “even though it was tough, i felt i had to carry on what he left behind.”

balancing two worlds: mining and agriculture

zubizarreta’s operation bridges two sectors often positioned as antagonists: extractive mining and regenerative agriculture. though fraught with challenges, the mining operation provides essential financial support during lean seasons in the agricultural calendar. 

“we used the income from mining to strengthen the cattle business,” she said. “now, we reinvest the revenue from the cattle back into improving the farm.”

the mining side of her business isn’t without significant concerns. security threats loom large in a region known for its conflicts over gold extraction. zubizarreta said that “mining is risky and stressful. when we go to the mining site, we know that anything can happen to us.”

her team has transitioned to mercury-free extraction methods such as gravimetric tables, which use gravity to separate heavier material from lighter ones. this contributes to the preservation of soil health across the region.

zubizarreta’s business is among those who are a part of a critical shift in mining practices in this region where mercury pollution has historically contaminated waterways and fish populations, according to the national institute of health. this evolution toward more sustainable mining practices represents a rare bridge between immediate economic necessity and long-term environmental health.

despite her progress, zubizarreta’s aspirations lie far beyond mining. “in the future, i’d like to expand into something easier and more secure,” she said, considering her long-term future. 

the long road to mining formalization: huanca’s story

while zubizarreta seems to have found her niche in regenerative agriculture, señora lucila huanca is leading restoration efforts within her mining concessions and exploring fish farming as a complementary livelihood option.

unlike most mines in the region, which operate informally and illegally according to huanca, her determination to mine responsibly led her to embark on a grueling nine-year journey to formalize her operations. from 2010 to 2019, huanca navigated a labyrinth of unclear regulations, expensive environmental impact studies, and bureaucratic roadblocks. research shows that many miners in peru face rejection even after completing the required steps, leading to frustration and financial loss and even more scrutiny after formalization.

“we started in 2010 and only fully reached formal status in 2019,” she said, describing how she had to invest the equivalent of three kilograms of gold, worth well over $100,000, just to purchase her 300-hectare (approximately 741 acres) concession. “there were many instances where we paid for inspections, only to be rejected and forced to start over again.”

the formalization process required multiple environmental impact assessments, water and soil analysis, and hiring engineers to prepare technical documentation, each step costing thousands of dollars with no guarantee of success.

this costly process reflects a paradox in peru’s approach to regulating small-scale mining: the barriers to becoming legal are so high that they inadvertently incentivize continued illegal operations. 

“being formalized seems worse than being informal,” huanca said. “we face higher costs, with no incentives to make it worthwhile.”

the economic cost of ecological gold

huanca’s commitment to producing “ecological gold,” processed without harmful mercury, represents both environmental innovation and economic sacrifice in a market that doesn’t yet fully reward sustainability.

“we don’t use mercury anymore. we’ve proven it’s possible to mine responsibly, even if it’s not easy,” she said, despite facing a complex web of economic and regulatory challenges that often punish those trying to do the right thing.

the financial implications of her choice are significant. “the green gold is less attractive for people to buy,” she said. “it doesn’t look as clean as gold processed with mercury, and it’s more expensive to produce.” she argues that this creates a perverse market incentive where ethical practices come with substantial economic penalties.

these market barriers are compounded by regulatory frameworks that seem to hinder legitimate operations while allowing illegal ones to flourish. 

“we are supervised and threatened with punishment for any environmental issue. we must pay officials to come inspect twice a year. if not, it’s another fine. meanwhile, informal miners operate with relative impunity, creating an uneven playing field,” huanca said.

environmental challenges further complicate her efforts. climate change has intensified the region’s rainy season, preventing work for up to four months yearly. “from december until april, we cannot work because of heavy rains,” huanca said. “but, environmental risk assessments don’t take this into account. there’s no flexibility to understand that we’re paying fees even when we’re not working.”

perhaps most frustrating is the lack of distinction between responsible and irresponsible mining operations. “they put all miners in the same bag. there’s no clear distinction between those of us trying to do things right and those who aren’t,” she said.

this stigmatization extends beyond local perceptions. as ronny condor from the wyss academy, an environmental research organization, points out: “it’s not just the local view of madre de dios as a dangerous region; it’s the international perception as well. this reputation discourages investors and complicates efforts to market clean gold and other products from the region.”

despite these challenges, huanca persists, driven by deeper values. “it’s out of love for our employees and their families that we continue trying to innovate,” she said, embodying the difficult but essential transition toward sustainable mining practices in a system that has yet to fully value them. 

huanca has embraced reforestation and pisciculture, or the breeding of fish, on her previously mined lands, a rarity in a region where abandoned mining sites typically remain barren for decades. “we replant the land after mining, using native vegetation to recover the soil,” she said with optimism. “when you see the microorganisms returning, it gives me joy because it shows the land is healing.”

the way forward: innovation, research, and policy reform

zubizarreta and huanca’s stories highlight the growing role of women in peru’s mining sector. as a member of a women’s mining network called the regional network of asm women for madre de dios (red regional de mujeres mape responsable de madre de dios), zubizarreta said, “our goal is to encourage others to face these challenges and fight. it doesn’t matter if we’re fighting against the current. we have to stand together to be heard.”

through women’s networks, miners gain access to training, technical support, and the solidarity needed to navigate complex regulatory environments. “i understand that through a group of people, we can knock on the door of the state,” huanca said.

stakeholders working in madre de dios affirm that the way forward is to invest in formalization, eliminate mercury, rehabilitate mined lands, and support miners in identifying and implementing complementary livelihood activities. several innovations show promise:

1. agroforestry systems can restore degraded mining lands while providing economic returns. “agroforestry not only regenerates the land but also provides higher economic returns than monocultures,” wiederkehr-guerra said. “it’s a win-win for the environment and the community.”
2. multifunctional mining concessions that integrate extraction with restoration and alternative land uses. condor notes: “we work to connect local communities with international best practices. for instance, exchanges with colombian miners demonstrate how multifunctional mining concessions can diversify livelihoods, balancing economic activity with ecological responsibility.”
3. international knowledge exchange programs that connect local miners with global best practices. the women’s mining networks create opportunities for cross-border learning about sustainable techniques and business models.
4. value chain development for sustainable products from the region, including certified sustainable gold, agricultural products, and potentially eco-tourism services. “the brazil nut sector exemplifies how economic activities can coexist with forest conservation,” wiederkehr-guerra said. “however, challenges remain with market access and economic sustainability, which need to be addressed.”
5. mercury-free processing techniques that can be economically viable while protecting environmental and human health. huanca’s operation proves these techniques can work in practice, though policy support is needed to scale them.

as global demand for rare earth minerals continues to grow, especially those needed for renewable energy technologies, finding sustainable extraction models becomes increasingly urgent. the experiences of women miners in madre de dios suggest that solutions may not come only from outside regulators but from committed insiders willing to transform their industry from within.

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acknowledgement: this story was curated with information from a university of notre dame-sponsored research trip to madre de dios, peru, as part of the regenerating ecologies and economies livelihoods lab led by professor richard “drew” marcantonio in partnership with the keough school of global affairs and cincia (amazonian center for scientific innovation). the interviews included here were translated from spanish and verified to be accurate by señora marta torres, outreach and education team lead at cincia.

]]> //m.getitdoneaz.com/story/blossom-bush-ecofeminist-reflection/ thu, 12 jun 2025 18:40:53 +0000 //m.getitdoneaz.com/?p=48171 this short creative story explores a world not far from ours where care is transactional, and pain is profitable. inspired by ecofeminist thought and the lived realities of women across the globe, this story asks: what happens when we can no longer afford to heal?

studies have found that women and children are far more likely to die during climate-related disasters than men. in response, this piece is rooted in the framework of ecofeminism, exploring how neoliberal systems contribute to environmental degradation in ways that reflect and reinforce a global pattern: one where patriarchal capitalism treats both nature and women’s bodies as expendable resources in the pursuit of profit and power.

the woman in this story isn’t alone. from an ecofeminist perspective, she is emblematic of the millions who are forced to labor through poisoned air, dwindling resources, and institutional neglect just to survive.

read the full story by clicking on the presentation below!

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