June 24, 2004

Q: An elementary student in Union County asked: What kind of shoes do the Ecuador children wear?

A: The children in the communities we are visiting tend to wear dusty, well-worn sandals, tennis shoes, and boots…and often their feet are bare.

Q. Several students have wanted to know: What kinds of animals are you are seeing and have you seen any llamas? Are the animals wild or domesticated?

A. The wildlife of Ecuador is very diverse. We have seen butterflies including a blue morpho! We’ve also seen lots of birds and insects. There are many types of livestock, such as chickens, cows, burros, turkeys, and pigs. And yes, we have seen both llamas and alpacas, and they were domesticated, not wild.

Q. A student in Pender County asked: What is the typical wind speed in the highlands and wanted to know about windpower in Ecuador.

A. Windspeed on the paramo was a steady 5 to 6 miles per hour with gusts reaching 15 to 20 miles per hour. We don’t know any information about the use of windpower here, but will keep our eyes open in case there are any examples of communities using windpower for energy.

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