Ecotourism

Faculty members, graduate and undergraduate students have been working in the small mountain town of Rio Negro for approximately four years. Traditionally this community’s economic base has been centered on coffee. In response to the falling prices of coffee in the global market farmers are trying a variety of innovative strategies to support themselves. This project has been working with the citizens in developing strategies of marketing organic shade-grown coffee as well as the design and implementation of community-based ecotourism. One of the undergraduates that worked in this community as a senior returned to CDAE for his graduate studies which will focus on integrating local and regional plans in the support of ecotourism in Rio Negro.

 

 

Students posing in front of waterfall and hiking.

Students learning about microhydro project in Rio Negro.