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DREFF Workshop on Community Gardens in Partnership with Banreservas Comes to a Successful Close

August 8, 2012

Saturday, August 4, 2012, marked the close of the 5 day workshop on Community Gardens implemented by the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), an initiative of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE), in conjunction with Banreservas at Club Banreservas in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The program, which commenced on July 7 and took place over the course of 5 Saturdays, provided
participants with instruction on how to create and maintain box gardens, utilizing organic agricultural techniques. The workshop was taught by Cristinia Cruz Minier, expert in botany and environmental science.

The objectives of the workshop were to: create a community garden that will serve both recreational and occupational needs; teach
participants about organic box gardening; plant vegetables that are fast-growing; instill a sense of community; and provide a healthy, toxic-free food source for the community.

Twenty people of varying ages took part in the workshop. By the end of the workshop, participants created three raised beds, one 4" by 4" in diameter and two 8" by 5" feet in diameter. Participants learned how to plant and cultivate radishes, tomatoes, spinach,
hot peppers and okra. Plantlings were provided by the Department of Agrofishery Extension and Capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture in Pantoja.

The students that completed the workshop agreed to manage the upkeep of the garden on a weekly basis, and a portion of the last class was devoted to distributing responsibilities among participants.

This initiative is the result of an extensive partnership and agreement of collaboration between DREFF and
Banreservas, which includes a vast program of activities, including community gardens, film projections, exhibits and discussion forums.

The Vegetable Garden initiative emerged as a result of interest sparked during the talks, panels and workshops conducted by Rose Lord during the I Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival. Rose Lord
represents the Make Gardens Not War, an initiative of the Global Coalition for Peace, which seeks to encourage the creation of vegetable gardens around the world.

The Vegetable Garden initiative is reflective of DREFF’s overall mission to interact with leading figures in the environmental community and to make a difference. To date, DREFF has also implemented Vegetable Garden initiatives with Babeque, Loyola and Calzans, CONSA, St. George and Café Con Leche High
Schools in Santo Domingo.

About DREFF:
DREFF aims to raise awareness and deepen understanding of environmental issues among Dominican audiences, while celebrating the beauty and diversity of the country’s natural heritage. The Festival offers insights into attitudes and actions that contribute to the appreciation, conservation and sustainable use of the planet.

Through screening a diverse
selection of high quality films on matters of environmental concern, and by organizing discussion panels with environmental experts, filmmakers and other stakeholders, the Festival seeks to foster dialogue and inspire the Dominican public to adopt practices that will help to ensure the environmental sustainability and health of the country.

By bringing together youth, scholars, experts, activists, filmmakers, representatives of the public, private and non-governmental
institutions and the general public, the Festival promotes programs and projects that contribute to environmental protection, conservation and sustainability.

The Festival provides youth and general audiences the opportunity to watch ground-breaking documentary films on environmental topics. Key thematic areas of DREFF 2012 include Oceans, Biodiversity, Green Economy, Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change. The Festival offers ample possibilities for participants to
interact with leading figures in the environmental community and opportunities to collaborate in national and international programs that are making a positive impact.

CV Cristina Cruz Minier

DREFF