Visitors and online community get hands-on experience in sustainable development

Filed Under: EARTH Stories
Date: February 20th, 2012

In February four Whole Foods Market shoppers from the United States became EARTH students. Well…almost. For three days the shoppers (winners of a joint sweepstakes between EARTH University and Whole Foods Market) were on the EARTH campus for intensive hands-on courses in sustainable banana production, peri-urban agriculture, bio-digesters, community development and tropical soils.

The visit was organized by EARTH’s Educational Tourism office, which offers tailor-made programs for tourists and students focused on sustainability and development issues.

“For us [EARTH], it is important to receive these types of visitors because we don’t just get to share our philosophy and knowledge, but together we further the sustainable development of the humid tropics and surrounding communities,” remarked Christopher Picado, EARTH’s Educational Tourism Coordinator.

Two bloggers from the United States, Max Goldberg of Living Maxwell and April Gilbert of LA Green Girl, and reporter Alyce Lomax of the Motley Fool/ AOL Daily Finance also joined the trip, later writing about their experiences at EARTH:

Motley Fool:

AOL Daily Finance:

Living Maxwell:

LA Green Girl: