Student Information:

Anna Leavitt ’12 Environmental Policy and Spanish double major

aleavitt@colby.edu Mellon Award Recipient

Location: Manzanillo, Costa Rica

Organization: Punta Mona: Center for Sustainable Living and Education

Punta Mona is an 85-acre organic farm and permaculture education center. Permaculture is an ecological design system based on the goal of creating a self-sufficient and sustainable community. All of the buildings at Punta Mona are made from fallen wood and other found and recycled materials. Rain water is collected for shower and drinking water, the electricity is solar powered, and almost all of the food is produced on the farm. An extensive library as well as skilled and knowledgeable farmers provide the framework for an immersion program into permaculture for interns. Courses and workshops are offered on a variety of topics such as permaculture, natural medicine, tropical agriculture, grafting trees, and even chocolate making!

Internship Description:

January 1-28, 2010

Along with twelve other interns, I worked on various long and short-term projects. After an introduction to permaculture design, including farm tours, workshops, and more formal classes, we began our first collective farm project. To create a useful and thriving garden, we cleared a neglected garden bed, designed, prepared and planted food and medicinal plants. I also worked individually on a vegetable garden, helped in the greenhouse, and harvested fruit and vegetables for meals.

As an intern I also had other responsibilities, such as daily chores and cooking shifts. Daily chores included cleaning, feeding the chickens, raking paths, and washing dishes, among other things. I worked with the kitchen staff for at least one meal a day to cook organic, vegetarian meals.

Reflection:

This internship experience taught me about sustainable living and the specific mechanisms needed to create a functional, self-sufficient community. I learned an incredible amount about tropical plants and gardening, but also on a larger scale, about environmental conservation and health issues facing the country. Costa Rica is an ideal location for environmental studies because it is a leader in environmental protection; however, there are many problems facing the rainforest such as deforestation and monoculture. Upon a close look into the banana industry, I have become more conscious about the production and distribution of our food products, and will spread the importance of buying local, organic food to others as well.

Contact Information:

Punta Mona: Center for Sustainable Living and Education Anna Leavitt

Manzanillo, Costa Rica 63 Hemlock Dr.

contact@puntamona.org Holliston, MA 01746

506-83-21-27-88 aleavitt@colby.edu