Fernando's Travels: Work as an Eco-Vol/Intern

I have been on Lotan for just over a week and I believe that I am getting the hang of it and acclimated, etc. As part of my Eco Intern duties, I do mudding, gardening, cleaning, and a bunch of random jobs here and there and all over the kibbutz. As part of my own project here, I am trying to compile as much information in order to write a feasibility report on biogas. Biogas is anaerobically produced from animal or human waste and even food scraps. There seems to be a lot of potential here in Lotan, since they have lots of cows and goats (and humans and food scraps at that). There are a couple of other people in neighboring kibbutzim and universities that are also doing biogas work, so I will hopefully work with them and all will be great for Lotan.

My days when I work with the other EcoVols (there is some friendly dispute as to what we should be called so I will use Eco Intern simultaneously) I wake up before the crack of dawn (sun cracks at roughly 5am) and take the temperature measurements in my dome (max is ave = 33C; min is ave = 26C). Outside temp in the shade can reach 45C on a normal day, so it is much cooler in the domes, but still feels rather hot. In order to keep the domes cooler however, we have to regulate the windows, so we close them during the day and open them at night.

So after checking the temps I go outside to meet with Mike, the other EcoVols and any other volunteers who may be with us on that particular day. We stretch for a good 5-10 minutes, then Mike divides us up and we go work on our various projects for the day.

Some things I have done are: making mud using a cement mixer, putting down mud flooring on several domes, putting down mud roofing, and making an arch on top of my own dome out of mud and mud bricks, to name a few.

In the Eco Kef (this ecological center they have for tourists, but also has the larger organic garden), I have cleaned up beds, planted seeds (such as lettuce, radishes, arugula, dill), separated dried tea (to be sold) from the stems, laying down mulch/manure, and planted tea in the nursery, also to name a few. We usually work with Leah in the garden.

We work until breakfast which we take at around 8:30am in the dining hall, then back to work until lunch which happens around 2pm with a break in the middle at around noon (all of these times vary, depending on the day and the work).

After work, the big question is "Now What?", basically the rest of the day is "freetime." Most of the time though the EcoVols are really tired and we either nap in our hot domes (a little past midday...when the dome T is at its max) or they go to the pool (I have yet to go) or...nothing...until dinner time which is roughly 6pm. And then...more of 'now what' till bed time. I usually use my time to nap/sleep, use internet, watch a show/movie (well, we only this this once during our weekend when we weren't all dying), even though I brought many book I should be reading/studying. :P

Repeat, and this is essentially my work week. Don't get me wrong, even though we are dead at the end of the day, we all (at least I do) really enjoy the work that we do here and what we are trying to build and obtain here. I am glad to be part of it and that I am able to use my hands and put in a good day's work. Who doesn't love playing with mud?!?

On a side note, today we got another EcoVol, Sasha from Virginia, and she will be here all summer as well.