Kyle Piispanen

Rural Andean Bolivia is made up of small-scale farmers that feed large urban populations with poor access to markets, political instability, no mechanized equipment, and in altitudes of up to 13000 feet -- or more. Kyle Piispanen came to study this phenomenon as a graduate student in Applied Anthropology at Oregon State University, and is sharing his ecologist skills by teaching a tropical ecology at the College. Kyle writes:

“Ecology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of organisms and their interactions with the environment. In ecology we use the ecosystem as a unit of study, and in class we find ourselves in the field measuring populations, writing in our journals, thoughtfully stepping from one ecosystem to the next. It is becoming apparent that a rapid response to the global crisis confronting an ever-shrinking biological diversity will be necessary.

“Ecology has become a hot topic here because Bolivia is among the most biodiverse countries in the world. Recently it was announced that the country will host a meeting initiated by President Evo Morales called the First World Conference of People on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth. The results of this conference are yet unknown, but it demonstrates a move in the Morales government towards recognition of critical issues in conservation and environmental health.

“I believe that students with a good background in ecology will help to guide society toward the conservation natural systems, and toward sustainable management of environmental resources. It is also important to integrate ecological knowledge into agriculture and ecosystem restoration. Students often describe ecosystems and biodiversity in Bolivia in terms of pisos ecológicos (ecological zones). Bolivia is known for 5 distinct pisos ecológicos: Puna, Altiplano, Valles, Yungas and the Lowlands. When one travels to Carmen Pampa from La Paz one passes through all of Bolivia’s distinct pisos, with the exception of the Lowlands, in less than 100 km!


Kyle in the classroom.

“Many different civilizations have worked in these ecological zones to develop a great diversity of food. The Yungas is an incredibly diverse and important zone itself. The Yungas forests that surround us are extremely diverse, ranging from moist lowland forest to evergreen montane forest and cloud forests. The steep valley walls are where people carve out their agricultural lands. This extremely rugged and varied environment contributes to the ecological diversity and richness. There are high levels of biodiversity and unique species throughout the Yungas regions. Unfortunately forest in this area is being lost due to the intensification of agriculture and increasing demands from the world’s cities.

“The students here at the College are introduced to concepts that are becoming increasingly important, and many of them have first-hand experience. They have experienced the many uses of native forest, the effects of contamination and conservation, and the consequences of population growth. These topics are especially relevant in the agronomy department: the futures of agriculture and food security are directly related to these issues.

“Saint Francis was an early ecologist and naturalist, observing animals, writing about them with affection, and recognizing their importance. Student come to class with a combination of direct experience in the field and a respect cultivated through the teachings of Saint Francis. They understand the natural environment, they know plant and animal names, and they have seen population dynamics in action in agricultural pests and diseases.

“By applying concepts of ecology to agriculture, we can produce food that is healthier, and conserve the natural environment for the important services it provides, services that help maintain life on this planet. It is my hope that these students will begin to learn how to make agrarian environments more livable, integrating ecology with food production; and the youth of Bolivia will start to return to rural areas for a better quality of life while contributing to food production. My students are asked to do a research project on a topic of ecology that interests them, and students have chosen topics as diverse as contamination of water, deforestation, and the introduction of exotic species. Students have demonstrated a high level of commitment to working towards resolving environmental issues that rural areas are facing.


Ecology student José Luis Chipana counts beans in a biodiversity exercise.

“Farmers are often the people most aware of the environmental changes. They are also aware of a need for a combination of environmentally sound food production and conservation. At Carmen Pampa, by empowering young farmers as future community leaders, I am hopeful that these leaders will bring thoughtful consideration and positive change to their communities.”

We are grateful for Kyle’s presence here, for his contributions to the College, his research that will lead to a greater understanding of how food is produced and used, and the spirit of unity and knowledge that he brings.

Anniversary of nursing department

Yesterday was the anniversary of the nursing department -- and it was incredible to see all of the young women and men in their "hospital whites"! It was a beautiful day, with a mass and a toast to these amazing young people, followed by a dance on the basketball court. Congratulations to these exceptional young women and men.

Here students prepare for the anniversary mass.



Two students with their family members.





Lidia Cuevas, the Director of the Nursing program, speaks to the College, with fifth semester student Hilarion by her side.



Donato Monrroy was recognized for his over fifteen years of service to the College.

Sonia Moy

One of the students that I supervised, Sonia Moy, graduated yesterday -- she studied the life cycles of two butterflies, Mechanitis lysimnia elisa (Lysimnia clearwing)and Phoebis philea philea (orange-barred sulphur). These species are common in the area, and of commercial value. The project benefited the Nayriri Butterfly house, community-run project at the end of the Inca Trail near the College. She got a score of 86%, considered distinguished!


Photo:Sonia with her senior research project defense committee.

Ramiro and Juan Pedro

Saturday was the day to see students successfully defend their graduation projects.

First was Ramiro, the third education EVER to finish his degree. He worked with elementary students in Guanay, his home town 6 hours from the College, to see how students understood garbage and what happens to it -- and he found that they have a LOT to learn.

Photo: Ramiro with his defense committee.

Juan Pedro studied a family of beetles, some of which eat other insects, possibly crop pests. He found that the populations of these beetles has some species in common between crop land and forest, and some distinct. It shows that the forest is a possible resevoir for beneficial beetles.


Photo: Here is Juan Pedro talking a sample from an insect trap.


Juan Pedro was working for the Benson Institute on the Altiplano, helping farmers build underground greenhouses (I wrote about that here).

Dani and Victor

Two more grads! Yesterday was vet student Dani Chambilla, the sister of graduate Rosa and tourism student Guido. She looked at different methods of measuring bacterial contamination of milk from udder infections (mastitis), and found that the California Mastitis Test was reliable and easy for farmers to use.


Photo:Dani with her defense committee and her two children.

Today was education student Juan Victor Ajllahuanca, who worked at the elementary school where he himself studied, examining how students learn math in third grade. He found that students had more problems with multiplication than with division, because it uses more steps (lots of carrying numbers into the next column, something less common with basic division done at that level). The teacher in that classroom was grateful for his observations, and his help with the class when he wasn't doing his research.


Photo:Juan Victor and his defense committee.

Congratulation to these two young new grads!

Sistema Plurinacional de Certificacion de Competencias

In December of 2008, President Evo Morales established the National Service of Competency Certification. Under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, this entity gives certificates to workers recognizing outstanding skills gained in the School of Life.

This weekend, a graduate of the College, Miguel Ángel Sánchez, stopped by the house, and explained that he and another four graduates are heading up the section that certifies farmers (and ranchers) in Bolivia. "This is a huge help for rural people," he explained, "because it gives them easier access to funds from the government's rural aid program."

The process requires that farmers apply at a government office, then have an interview with a certifier. The last step is a field evaluation where the certifier evaluates whether the person has the base of practical knowledge that is expected of a successful farmer.

"The certification can also be used for credit for a higher degree," Miguel told me. "A lot of older farmers are taking advantage of it. It is an outward sign that traditional knowledge is appreciated and valued." That is something in a country where as recently as 1952 farmers were considered unintelligent, good only for hard labor as indentured servants under the hacienda system.

It is sometimes difficult for students to find work in the place they were born, so many look for opportunities that impact their communities in other ways. These graduates are impacting rural areas by granting certificates -- and the means to a higher quality of life -- to community members like their parents and grandparents. Others with with micro-financing banks that get capital into the hands of enterprising farmers. Yet others work with NGOs that empower rural people. The spirit of our mission lives in these young people, and it inspires hope.

Forrages and Lentils

Friday, student Joel Bautista successfully defended his graduation project about the adaptation of different forrages to the local ecosystem. He tried out five species suggested by our collaborators at Brigham Young University, and found that weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula) adapted well to our environment, and that this species could be cultivated to feed cattle, or even dry and sell as hay to the Bolivian Altiplano in their dry season.


Photo: Joel signs the defense document, with his mother, father and aunt in the background.

Yesterday, another agronomy student, Silvia Sevillanos, presented her research project about the adaptation of lentils to the land around Carmen Pampa. Of the four varieties that she planted, French Green was the best producer. Lentils are great soil improvers, full of protein, and cook much quicker than most legumes. This variety will become part of the university's cache of plants that both improve food security and permit greater economic stability.


Photo: Silvia with her son and husband, also soon to graduate.