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Lucy Legan
Caixa Postal 45
Pirenopolis-GO 72980-000
BRAZIL
Tel: +55 (62) 331-2111
lucy@ecocentro.org
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"The Living Routes program provides us with an opportunity to learn and teach the skills that will be needed in a sustainable future. Every year our community looks forward to the arrival of the students."
– André Soares, Director/Designer Ecocentro IPEC
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| Many students fall in love with the Cerrado ecosystem. More photos » |
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Ecocentro IPEC began on a bare, degraded cattle pasture in 1998 to teach and demonstrate permaculture and to apply this information in the construction
of a prototype ecological village. The community exists on 25 hectares (60 acres) of land and is located in Piren—polis in the state of Goias, central Brazil.
Ecocentro IPEC is connected to the national university in Brasilia as well as many government ministries, schools and other non-profit organizations.
Ecoversidade is IPEC's educational arm and is dedicated to education for sustainable living by fostering a profound understanding of the natural world,
grounded in direct experience, that leads to sustainable patterns of living. Ecoversidade functions as a model of viable rural settlement, incorporating the
realities of appropriate technologies, living systems and sustainable community life from a holistic perspective.
Through the dedication of community members, students, adventurers and volunteers working together, Ecocentro IPEC has become one of the most important
reference centers for sustainable living in Latin America, demonstrating that another future is possible. Ecocentro IPEC presents practical solutions with over
15 ecological buildings, composting toilets, water treatment system, ecological gardens, food forests and renewable energy system on a site that is less than 10 years old!
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Brazilian people are especially friendly. The local traditional community invites all IPEC community members to family celebrations.
The celebrations include Brazilian music and a crash course in Brazilian dancing! Other highlights include:
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Community meals, organized by the Women's Cooperative Monday to Friday |
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Community celebrations including open fires, talent quests and pizza nights |
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Capoeira lessons. Capoeira blends elements of dance, music, rituals, acrobatics, and fighting. It is practiced in a circle called the "roda", with sound background provided by percussion instruments, like the "agogo" or the "atabaqui." |
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Early morning meditation (optional) |
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Portuguese lessons (optional) |
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Carnival, which takes place throughout Brazil, is a moveable feast that is tied to the religious Calendar. It is a traditional pre-Lenten celebration which ends on Ash Wednesday |
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Many optional events in town including yoga lessons, massage after a hard day in the fields or construction and T'ai Chi lessons |
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The Cerrado ecosystem is uniquely diverse with high levels of endemic speciation. The Cerrado landscape characterizes itself by extensive savanna
formations intercepted by forests along the rivers, humid fields or "buriti" palm paths and alpine type pastures. Some local highlights include:
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Piren—polis, a small cobblestone colonial town founded by banairantes 360 years ago |
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Many waterfalls for those who are keen to explore the area by mountain bike |
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Regional Cerrado forests, classified as a World Heritage Biosphere by the U.N. |
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The Vagafogo Wildlife Sanctuary for walking and swimming |
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The Santa Branca "Ecovillage" estate with 350 homes and 270 species of trees |
There are two options - dorms and double rooms. Dorms are more central to the community and the double rooms are farther out.
The food at Ecocentro IPEC is buffet and mostly vegetarian. Meat is served approximately once every three days and is always labeled as such.
The meals are mostly organic with IPEC producing nearly all of the food on site or through community supported agriculture system.
Cerrado has a dry winter (mid-May through mid-October) and a wet summer. Maximum temperatures average 28ºC (82ºF). During the dry season, the
temperature decreases and can reach daily highs of 13ºC (55ºF) in July although maximum averages of 25ºC (77ºF) are the norm.
Vaccination against Yellow Fever is recommended for all travelers when visiting the following states of Brazil: Amazonas, Distrito Federal, Goiás,
Maranhão, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará, Roraima and Tocantins. Please note that Yellow Fever vaccinations take approximately 10 days to become effective.
There are two hospitals within 5-10 km from Ecocentro IPEC. The average consultation is approximately US$28.
Ecocentro IPEC - http://www.ecocentro.org
PAL (Permacultura America Latina) - http://www.permacultura.org
RBP (Rede Brasileira de Permacultura) - http://www.permacultura.org.br
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