Based on the methodology of the Pan-American Health Organization (OPS), NCI, together with the National Foundation of EcoClubs, Provincial Government, Municipalities, and the Ministries of Education and Environment, it is impelled the creation of EcoClubes in several cities in the south of Ecuador, in order to cultivate, in the youth, a conservationism and proactive spirit towards the environment.
The EcoClubes are very active youth organizations who throughout the year organize events according to the “Ecological Calendar”, obtaining public participation and the promotion of key environmental issues that affect the local and global society. For example, the campaign “Used Batteries Disposal”, forums on global warming, field events such as “Lets fly kites”, are some of the regular activities that have been greatly accepted by the people.
The serious problem of the extraction of Mosses and Bromelias, native plants of the mountain forests and used to decorate the Nativity Scenes at Christmas, has been addressed by means of a successful campaign backed up by both environmental and municipal authorities, resulting in the approval of a decree that prohibits its use and commercialization in the city of Loja as from the year 2006. In order to maintain the religious tradition, NCI organizes the annual competition “Ecological Christmas”, encouraging the use of recycled and alternative materials for the elaboration of Nativity Scenes.
Many of the ecological activities and projects undertaken by the EcoClubes, are presented in an annual event called EcoFair, where students show the public their ideas and projects of environmental development designed to better the ecological situation of their city.
