Sacred balance in our paradise
Equilibrio Sagrado en Nuestro Paraíso
The purpose of the program is to connect children with Mother Nature through its three components: Model Garden, Seedbed and the Fertilizer Biofactory, and with these educate about the protection of the soil, seeds, Mother Lake Atitlan (our paradise) and our health.
The model garden
We have an orchard of approximately 560 square meters with five areas of crops: milpa system, vegetables, medicinal plants, banana and lemon tree circle. The garden is based on ancestral agriculture, that is to say, it is worked by the children from the Mayan thinking in furrows, double excavation terraces and by elevation.
To reinforce the children's knowledge, some terraces have been designed in lunar phases and extinct native fish, and according to the direction of the four cardinal points, the movement of the sun and the winds. As a complement to the knowledge and practices of sacred balance with the person, nature and the universe, the garden is complemented with a seedbed, a biofactory of fertilizers and agricultural bio-inputs.
Seedbed
To reinforce the learning and performance of the children in terms of Mayan ecological education, sacred community balance, we have a seedbed from which we promote the germination of native or creole seeds of vegetables, basic grains and medicinal plants. To work the seedbed we use organic substrates which are prepared by the children.
The seedbed is located inside a greenhouse with a bamboo structure, a polycarbonate roof and a didactic design that facilitates the students' performance. It also houses a traditional seedbed.
The use of bamboo trays and other recycled materials to prevent and reduce the use of plastic is currently being experimented with.
Fertilizer biofactory
We have a biofactory where we produce organic fertilizers and agricultural bio-inputs. It is designed to facilitate the learning and performance of children. It has an educational, ecological, community and cultural function. The three components described above together provide knowledge and skills to be replicated in organic family gardens. If these are achieved, the awareness of the sacred balance in our paradise: the Lake Atitlán basin will be extended.
