Each year the Development Bank of Ecuador (El Banco de Desarrollo del Ecuador) hosts the Green Awards (Premio Verde) competition for organizations working in Ecuador supporting the environment, promoting replicability and sustainability, and containing a vision that promotes environmental awareness in Ecuador. Organizations are asked to partner with a municipal government to propose a project they will implement upon winning an award.
The Premio Verde 2023 Award winners!
This year, the Regeneration Field Institute received 1st place for the Premio Verde, winning an award of $100,000 USD. Our application took months to prepare alongside the Parroquial Government of Ricaurte, the local municipal we have worked with on previous community projects. The project will focus on constructing sustainable bamboo structures and reforestation projects on public land, as well as investing in the equipment for their upkeep and employing tens of workers in green jobs.
Our Premio Verde project will help expand and connect habitat for birds, insects, and mamamals including the critically endangered Mantled Howler Monkeys pictured above.
The reforestation work focuses on restoring 140 ha of our local Chagualu watershed. We plan to work with local community organizations and nurseries to plant 3,400 trees of all native species including caucho (rubber), mango, Guaba (guava), papaya, Pechiche and more. The focus of our plantings is on seeding trees that benefit ecosystems with an eye towards soil regeneration and food for wild animals like our birds, insects, and mammals, particularly the endangered Mantled Howler Monkey.
Collectively the job will run for ~2 years ensuring the trees are well set-up for life in the wild, along the way providing technical training in reforestation and maintaining collaboration with local organizations and universities.
This video was created to showcase some of RFI's work in Ricaurte, Manabi. RFI and the Parroquial government of Ricaurte were among 5 finalists of 130 applicants in Ecuador.
It is a great honor and gratifying to receive this award for our work in Ecuador. Our mission is to support farmers, builders, entrepreneurs and designers to conduct socially and ecologically regenerative work. We are so thankful to El Banco de Desarrollo del Ecuador for the recognition and opportunity to implement more projects for the benefit of local communities in Ricaurte, Manabi. We look forward to the building and planting, and will keep you updated when we start getting roots in the soil!
Collaborators:
Min. Ambiente y autoridades del GAD Parroquia de Ricaurte
Min. Ambiente y autoridades del GAD Cantón de Chone