DREFF Reaches New Heights with First-Ever Expedition to Pico Duarte

The Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival’s first-ever expedition to Pico Duarte exceeded expectations. Over the course of the four-day trek, forty-five students from three Dominican high-schools — Centro de Excelencia Media Profesora Cristina Billini Morales “Fe y Alegria”, Centro de Excelencia República de Colombia, and Centro Educativo República de Guatemala – had the opportunity to scale the Dominican Republic’s highest summit alongside Dominican professional
mountaineer and seasoned Everest trekker, Karim Mella.

The students were accompanied by 20 other staff members, including GFDD representatives, professional climbers Steve Maison and Zachary Zaireff, a doctor, a cook, a musician, a photographer and 10 volunteers.

GFDD and FUNGLODE equipped students with gear that
consisted of backpacks, coats, gloves, hats, t-shirts and flashlights. Prior to ascending, the students were prepped by the expedition’s official doctor on the importance of hydration, feel maintenance and other important aspects related to hygiene and trail maintenance.

The expedition also included lectures by the students’ teachers on the geography of the Cordillera Mountain Range, rivers, fauna, flora, the climate of the Dominican Republic, environmental protection,
forest fires, reforestation and first aid, among other topics. The students also received a briefing by the director of Parque Nacional J. Armando Bermúdez on the various habitats and terrains that exist within the park.

The innovative initiative was the outcome of the first edition of the Festival, celebrated in September 2011, and the resulting national and international network that emerged. The expedition provided participating students with the unique chance to
develop an emotional connection with nature.

An important message of the trek was to impart in students the importance of leaving the park cleaner than they found it.

Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE) hope that the momentous experience will live in the hearts and minds of the student participants long after the expedition, and will instill within them a profound respect for the
natural environment and its resources.

The expedition to Pico Duarte reflects DREFF’s overall mission to interact with leading figures in the environmental community and to make a difference. The Festival aims to raise awareness and deepen understanding of environmental issues among Dominican audiences. At the same time, the Festival celebrates the beauty and diversity of the Dominican Republic’s natural heritage and offers insights intended to contribute to its
appreciation, conservation and sustainable use.

The participating students were selected based on their ability to express in writing the importance of forests and natural resources in the Dominican Republic. The expedition was made possible thanks to collaboration with Dominican professional mountaineers Karim Mella and Federico Jovine.

About Karim Mella and Federico Jovine:
Karim Mella and Federico Jovine
formed part of the first Dominican expedition to Mount Everest, realized in 2011. Both climbers have scaled Pico Duarte over fifty times, and united with other Dominican mountaineers to scale the tallest mountain of each continent, to be the firsts to plant the Dominican flag.

Follow all the excitement on Twitter and Facebook:
Connect with GFDD and DREFF on Twitter and Facebook to get access to live interviews during the
expedition, photos and up-to-the-minute accounts. Tweet your questions and comments and become part of the conversation.

Join us in celebrating the Second Edition of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film
Festival, to take place September 5-9, 2012!