This post is written by Honors student and UHP SURE Award winner Haley Burns.
I used the SURE Award to help fund my research on sustainable agriculture feasibility while in Brazil.
As part of my research, I lived in a tent on a property where a man is attempting to build a house using only the resources he has on the property. His goal is to have a self-sustaining garden, with a permaculture design – meaning the garden beds are made from places that are already there so that the landscape is not changed too much. I helped create a couple of the garden beds, separate seeds from dried plants, start and water seedlings, and plant pumpkin plants.
The land is situated close to the park Chapada Diamantina, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful places on earth. The views every day were stunning! Because of the heat, we only worked in the mornings. There were no showers or electricity, so we bathed in the nearby river, and had only one lightbulb from a single, tiny solar panel.
In conclusion, the work on sustainable projects, even this tiny, is incredibly difficult and energy draining. To bring this to largescale agriculture on such and extreme level of sustainability would be nearly impossible. The takeaway, though, is that we could apply some of the methods on a large scale without being extreme. Compost, permaculture, and seed collection could all be implemented in larger conventional farms to make the system a little better for the world.
Tag: brazil
From Brazil With Love [Study Ablog]
Today’s post is written by Haley Burns, a junior in the UHP currently studying abroad in Salvador, Brazil!
I’ve always understood traveling the world as this awe-inspiring, magical experience. Before I embarked on my journey to Brazil, I imagined colors swirling around an explosion of senses as I floated down the streets of the endless markets that I was sure I would encounter with a smile on my face. It’s my time to finally experience the romanticized journey of leaving everything familiar behind but a suitcase and a backpack full of sunscreen.
With no language requirement, I embraced the idea of the unknown as something that could not let me down. I hopped on the plane, not even knowing the population of Salvador (which happens to be 4 million people – about 4 million more than I imagined). When I first arrived I was immediately hit with a wall of humidity. Despite the warm and inviting sun, moving through this humid atmosphere has its challenges.
So many things that have come to define me have vanished. My activities, possessions, foods, friends, family, communities and language do not exist here. I finally understand the allure of traveling. It isn’t that it comes with a constant state of bliss, it’s that you must stand naked, loving and defining yourself from within.
Conversation, the basis of connection with others, which is what I think is the most important thing in life, poses a huge challenge every day. As the sun hits my face at 6:00 every morning, I immediately have to think about how I can communicate, even without words. “Bom dia!” is about as far as my Portuguese went the first few days, which made getting around through meal time and the bus system a struggle and somewhat hilarious ordeal, full of minor misunderstandings.
My dad has always told me “actions speak louder than words.” Well, Dad, your theory has proved true. I really began to understand how profoundly true this is after my first yoga class in Brazil. I happened to be the only one to show up for class, and communication with words wasn’t an option for us. Through a mix of movements, nonsense words, touches, and nods, we managed to have a synchronized and satisfying practice. This gave me confidence, that even though I know few words, with body language I can still communicate with and get to know people. It just takes some creativity, determination, and light-heartedness.
Getting to know Bahia has been a roller coaster of excitement and exhaustion every day. I’m loving the tropical fruits and cuscuz de coco (this amazing tapioca and coconut dessert), the fact that monkeys live in the trees instead of squirrels, and my host family. And I’m learning to love the ridiculously fast-paced, yet structureless culture of the city. But most importantly, I’m realizing how to love the raw part of me that is constant whether I’m at home, in Salvador or on the moon. That’s the magic and color of travel; it teaches you how to ignore the dripping sweat of challenges and, instead, let the sun shine on your beautiful inner dance.
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Professor David Fontana on
“Government by Location”
March 21st at 12:30pm in Ames 101Join the UHP for lunch to discuss Prof. Fontana’s research on the importance of location in governance. What if we moved the capital of the United States to Wyoming instead of Washington? Or what if we moved the Congress to San Francisco and kept the White House in Washington? Where government is located is a big part of how government operates, and Professor Fontana will talk about the many reasons that is the case.
