Honors College students work to create a sustainable environment in Ometepe

In March 2013 members of the FIU Honors College traveled to Nicaragua’s Ometepe Island – one of the world’s natural wonders and a UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserve – as part of alternative Breaks. Students worked alongside local community members and scoured the forest floors for seeds of specific species of trees that are on the brink of local extinction. Then, they collected organic soil that they mixed with sand and planted the collected seeds in small containers. Once planted, the seeds will be organized into sections and the local population will assume responsibility for continued watering and care until the saplings are ready for replanting.