The POAE Project is based in the village of Perucho, 30 km Northwest of Quito, Ecuador, in South America. The village was founded by the Spanish in 1546 and it is located at 1833 meters above sea level. The temperature varies from 20oC to 30oC (78oF – 95oF).
The natural vegetation is a tropical mountain dry forest. We do not have summer or winter; instead, there is a rainy season and a dry season. The rainy season lasts from September to April, although rain is very rare (less than 1000 mm/ year). Some of the crops cultivated in our area are: cherimoya, avocados, guava, bananas, coffee, vegetables, medicinal plants, flowers, etc. There are natural landscapes to explore such as mountains, and rivers (Cuví, Perlaví and Guayllabamba). There are also archaeological sites at a distance of one hour by foot.
Wildlife is represented by coyotes, falcons, owls, vultures, rabbits, opossums, squirrels, frogs, armadillos, bats, butterflies, and a great variety of insects and reptiles.
We work in our little farm and with neighbouring small farmers which are in the process of converting to Agroecology. One of the objectives of the project is to improve farmer's quality of life and stop the excessive use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Interns can share experiences with the farmers and help them implement best practices on agroecological production.