Renewable bio-based circular material economies in timber, post-agricultural by-products and plant-based bioremediation

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ELN GUA

ECOLOGICAL

LIVING

NETWORK

GUATEMALA

Yale CEA is resuming our work with Ecolibri, to develop a series of bioremediation systems for energy, food, air and water quality, throughout the village of San Juan La Laguna, Guatemala.

Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, 2022

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team

collaborators

selected

publications

partners

Ecolibri

Yale CEA: Anna Dyson, Hind Wildman, Naomi Keena, Mohamed Aly Etman, Mandi Pretorius, Phoebe Mankiewicz, I-Ting Tsai

Ecolibri: Dita Zakova

PLEA 2016 Los Angeles: Towards Regenerative Environments (2017)

Development of Affordable Building Materials Using Agricultural Waste By-Products and Emerging Pith, Soy and Mycelium Biobinders.

Mae-Ling Lokko, Anna Dyson + Alexandra Rempel (2017)

Academic/National Labs: Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute (IMAP), ENGOCA Public School, San Juan La Laguna

Material Research: Maguey Cactus

Abundant biomaterials including cactus, bamboo, clay, reeds will be researched and used within systems.

Material Research: Maguey Cactus

Maguey cactus has many applications, fermented as a beverage, and also stipped and woven to form bags and baskets.

Material Research: Lake Reeds

Lake reeds not only act as natural water purification systems, but are also traditionally used in basketry and woven household objects.

Indigenous Family carrying Firewood from the Surrounding Mountains

Surrounding Lake Atitlán, excessive consumption of firewood, is having a devastating impact on the local environment, significantly degrading the land.

Firewood used for Cooking

Ecolibri has since 2008, built energy-saving, sustainable stoves, that vent 99.9% of toxic smoke produced from open-flame fires out of the home, and help to curb deforestation and climate change by consuming 70% less wood.

Mother and child with kitchen stove

Since multiple pots can cook simultaneously, cooking time is reduced, and injury from burns is drastically reduced.

Adobe House, San Juan La Laguna

Adobe brick is traditionally used in the construction of homes across Guatemala.

Indigenous woman cooking

Inside the home, indigenous women spend on average 8 hours per day cooking on open fires that expose families to toxic smoke that can lead to chronic respiratory illness and lower life expectancy.

Traditional Textile Craft

Guatemala is a multi-ethnic country with a rich cultural heritage. The indigenous populations across the Highlands of the country are known worldwide for their outstanding creative work and traditional crafts including weaving, embroidery basketry, ceramics, painting, and folk music.

Material Research: Maguey Cactus

Abundant biomaterials including cactus, bamboo, clay, reeds will be researched and used within systems.

Material Research: Maguey Cactus

Maguey cactus has many applications, fermented as a beverage, and also stipped and woven to form bags and baskets.

Material Research: Lake Reeds

Lake reeds not only act as natural water purification systems, but are also traditionally used in basketry and woven household objects.

Indigenous Family carrying Firewood from the Surrounding Mountains

Surrounding Lake Atitlán, excessive consumption of firewood, is having a devastating impact on the local environment, significantly degrading the land.

Firewood used for Cooking

Ecolibri has since 2008, built energy-saving, sustainable stoves, that vent 99.9% of toxic smoke produced from open-flame fires out of the home, and help to curb deforestation and climate change by consuming 70% less wood.

Mother and child with kitchen stove

Since multiple pots can cook simultaneously, cooking time is reduced, and injury from burns is drastically reduced.

Material Research: Maguey Cactus

Abundant biomaterials including cactus, bamboo, clay, reeds will be researched and used within systems.

Material Research: Maguey Cactus

Maguey cactus has many applications, fermented as a beverage, and also stipped and woven to form bags and baskets.

Material Research: Lake Reeds

Lake reeds not only act as natural water purification systems, but are also traditionally used in basketry and woven household objects.

Indigenous Family carrying Firewood from the Surrounding Mountains

Surrounding Lake Atitlán, excessive consumption of firewood, is having a devastating impact on the local environment, significantly degrading the land.

Firewood used for Cooking

Ecolibri has since 2008, built energy-saving, sustainable stoves, that vent 99.9% of toxic smoke produced from open-flame fires out of the home, and help to curb deforestation and climate change by consuming 70% less wood.

Mother and child with kitchen stove

Since multiple pots can cook simultaneously, cooking time is reduced, and injury from burns is drastically reduced.

Adobe House, San Juan La Laguna

Adobe brick is traditionally used in the construction of homes across Guatemala.

Indigenous woman cooking

Inside the home, indigenous women spend on average 8 hours per day cooking on open fires that expose families to toxic smoke that can lead to chronic respiratory illness and lower life expectancy.

Traditional Textile Craft

Guatemala is a multi-ethnic country with a rich cultural heritage. The indigenous populations across the Highlands of the country are known worldwide for their outstanding creative work and traditional crafts including weaving, embroidery basketry, ceramics, painting, and folk music.

Material Research: Maguey Cactus

Abundant biomaterials including cactus, bamboo, clay, reeds will be researched and used within systems.

Material Research: Maguey Cactus

Maguey cactus has many applications, fermented as a beverage, and also stipped and woven to form bags and baskets.

Material Research: Lake Reeds

Lake reeds not only act as natural water purification systems, but are also traditionally used in basketry and woven household objects.

Indigenous Family carrying Firewood from the Surrounding Mountains

Surrounding Lake Atitlán, excessive consumption of firewood, is having a devastating impact on the local environment, significantly degrading the land.

Firewood used for Cooking

Ecolibri has since 2008, built energy-saving, sustainable stoves, that vent 99.9% of toxic smoke produced from open-flame fires out of the home, and help to curb deforestation and climate change by consuming 70% less wood.

Mother and child with kitchen stove

Since multiple pots can cook simultaneously, cooking time is reduced, and injury from burns is drastically reduced.

Image: Aerial View of the village of San Juan La Laguna, Lake Atitlán, Guatemala

gallery:

A strategy for sustainable urban farming methods:

how can we harness climatically adapted technologies to transform lives?

team

Yale CEA: Anna Dyson, Hind Wildman, Naomi Keena, Mohamed Aly Etman, Mandi Pretorius, Phoebe Mankiewicz, I-Ting Tsai

Ecolibri: Dita Zakova

partners

Ecolibri

collaborators

Academic/National Labs: Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute (IMAP), ENGOCA Public School, San Juan La Laguna

Mae-Ling Lokko, Anna Dyson + Alexandra Rempel (2017)

PLEA 2016 Los Angeles: Towards Regenerative Environments (2017)

Development of Affordable Building Materials Using Agricultural Waste By-Products and Emerging Pith, Soy and Mycelium Biobinders.

selected publications

In Guatemala, poverty disproportionately affects the indigenous population, where many cannot afford the basic food basket. The livelihood of regional subsistence farmers has been greatly impacted by recent extended dry seasons, driven primarily by global climate change, exploitation of natural resources, degraded and depleted land, small plot sizes, as well as lack of access to finances, agricultural supplies, and technical assistance.

Surrounding Lake Atitlán, land degradation and deforestation, caused by excessive consumption of firewood, is having a devastating impact on the local environment. In addition to this, water quality is greatly impaired because of improper agricultural practices that contaminate the surrounding ecosystem. Municipal water is rationed across villages two to three times per week. This water is unfiltered and unprocessed. It is potentially contaminated by agricultural runoff and can harbor waterborne disease-producing pathogens.

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