About this Site

In the February of 2001, I lived in the town of Río Limpio for 6 weeks as part of a college study-service term in the DR. I soon feel in love with my new surroundings, and found it very difficult to leave--life became a daily joy, with every day stretching into seeming foreverness.

Throughout my stay, I witnessed a small portion of the complex social fabric that of the estimated 1,000 inhabitants of the valley, observed the impact the people had on the surrounding environment, and picked up bits and pieces of the history of the place.

Out of my brief 6 week stay in Río Limpio, I developed an awareness of the problems that the community there, like any other, face. Farming is the one and only industry, providing little income to the many inhabitants. The mountainsides are continually chopped and burned to make way for new bean fields, leading to increased erosion, lower river levels, and a host of other long term problems. If current trends continue, Río Limpio will soon become much like most of Haiti--barren, treeless, and without a solid source of income for the many people living there.

And yet, there are many signs of hope. Organic farming is the norm. Alternative farming methods are taught at an agricultural school, CREAR. A government funded tree farm employs youth to re-forrest damaged areas. Many organizations, mainly European up to this point, have funded cultural projects and improvements in the local economy. Organic coffee, grown in environmentally sustainable ways, is exported to Sweden.

The valley is also breathtakingly beautiful. I've been back several times since my first visit there, and each time I find it hard to leave.

It is my hope that this web site will allow other adventurous souls to find the place that has become a refuge in my first world, technology-filled, fast-paced life. I also hope that by building up eco-tourism to the valley, the people there will find more sustainable options that will benefit both them and the incredible environment they live in.

Who [top]

In June of 2003, funded in part by a grant from the Plowshares Project and by donations from friends and family members, I traveled back to Río Limpio, accompanied by Marten Beels, a fellow student and professional photographer.

It was our goal to gather together the pictures and other elements that make up this web site.

Upon our return, I enlisted the help of web designer and multimedia guru, Kate Schrock, to design the web site and it's contents.

Sponsors [top]