A Note from the Altos del Maria Green Team

By: Dennis Fria The road clean-up from Pueblo Nuevo to Sora was a huge success, thanks to many people!  Every single person played an important role which together ended in the successful completion of this huge project.

It started Wednesday with a special group, comprised of Brian Bowes and his 2 workers (Reynaldo & Pipo), plus my jardinero, Ivan, and myself. Brian requested we do this because he and Jeanette were leaving Thursday for a get-away.  It proved to be a good trial run of what was to come.  Also, I met with Juan Polo (who has been fantastic!) who told me the signs were ready to be placed, the dump truck was ready, and he was supplying 15 workers!  WOW!

On our way down the mountain, we placed yellow painted rocks with the numbers 1 - 17 on each, and dropped one off at each 1 Km down the hill.  Then, the 5 of us started cleaning about halfway thru Pueblo Nuevo, working in the direction of Llano Grande.  In 3.5 hours we had collected 67 bags of garbage, in just 1 Km!  We were astonished and in awe of what was to come.

Wednesday at 7 AM the Green Team Volunteers who could make this “meeting” met at Siena Park, where I gave some brief directions of how the project would work, and distributed a Hi-Vis Vest, a pair of work gloves, a pole spear, a bottle of water, and 5 empty black bags.  Don’t bring any back empty, thank-you!

With the help of Terry Newman and Tracy Nolan who both had their pickups ready, volunteers were dropped off at each yellow marker.  Work down on one side, then back up on the other side. Easy.

Terry and Tracy ran up and down the hill re-supplying with bags and bottles of water, as did I.

By the time I slowly worked down to Pueblo Nuevo, I found the Melo crew loading the bags we collected the day before into their dump truck and cleaning up from where we left off, toward Llano Grande.  It was raining steadily there, but the guys all smiled and worked thru!

Working my way back up the mountain and checking with everyone, the rain had let up a little, but it was raining, none-the-less.  Everyone got soaked.

At the Chica turnoff, I found a crew I didn’t know!  The emblem on the truck said, “Ministry de Ambiente” , the Environmental Department!  They heard about the project and 5 volunteers from that office came to help!

This kind of help and support chokes me up.

At the end of their segment, everyone had the option of going home or working another Km.  This was grinding work and tiresome, and so a few took the option and went home, while a few agreed to continue.

In the end, the entire road was worked except a small segment near Buenos Aires.  The decision was made a day prior that Llano was neat and clean and we’d skip that pueblo as well as Buenos Aires, also kept clean.

Long story, short.  I returned Friday AM, checked the entire route, and then cleaned the last 100 yards.  Three more bags to add to the total.

So, you may ask, just what was the total number of bags collected?

Actually, the number was too high to count!  But!  Based on the 200 bags I gave out, plus the bags the Melo crew had left over, the total was approximately 250 large black bags of garbage!

What did we find the most?  Probably beer cans, but also a huge number of dirty diapers!  Brian Bowes gets the Gold Star, though, because he scored the best find:  THE TOILET!!

At then end of a long day, I bought lunch or dinner for all of the Melo guys.  I know many had never been in a restaurant other than a fonda, so they got a treat!  My thanks!  In addition to them, however, we had the moto cop and our local policeman who accompanied Terry in her truck.  Plus the Environmental people.  Everyone left happy!

So, please enjoy the ride on the road now.  But do it soon!  Friday I picked up a half dozen beer cans, a McDonald’s bag, and  few other items of "fresh garbage”.

Thank to all of those who helped with this effort!