Information Session: Thursday, October 4 th at 12:30pm Maxwell-Dworkin G J-term Experience in the Peruvian Amazon and Highlands

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1 Information Session: Thursday, October 4 th at 12:30pm Maxwell-Dworkin G J-term Experience in the Peruvian Amazon and Highlands Solving Global Challenges through Innovation Agriculture, an Alternative to Prevent Illegal Gold Mining in the Amazon Rainforest Program Dates: 2019 Sunday January 7 - Saturday January 19 Led by Professor Joost Vlassak / Professor Carlos Ríos

2 Founded by Eduardo Hochschild 2011 Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, Chemical, Environmental, Bio, Energy, Civil, CS

3 MOTIVATION for COURSE 21 st Century Engineering Global Citizenship The SEAS-UTEC Ethos Solving Global Challenges through Innovation Agriculture, an Alternative to Prevent Illegal Gold Mining in the Amazon Rainforest

4 The Importance of the Amazon, Its Rivers & Rainforest Resource rich (large biodiversity) Madre de Dios is known as the Peruvian Capital of Biodiversity Lima Amazon Basin Amazon Biome Madre de Dios Cusco Madre de Dios alone has species of plants, hundreds of species of birds, reptiles mammals, and fish 1 Major water and food source for local communities (1)

5 The Illegal Gold Mining Route Gold Price Chart Record High: 1800$ /oz Cusco Madre de Dios Region Illegal Gold Mining Camps Current prices are still highly profitable PERU Gold counterfeiting across the border Puno After the 08 Financial Crisis, Gold Prices skyrocketed, triggering a modern-age Gold Rush in the peruvian Jungle. Google Maps

6 The Challenge Illegal & Informal Gold Mining is the most lucrative illicit activity in Peru, surpassing cocaine production in recent years USAID, 2016

7 Our Approach: SNAP (Soil Nutrient Analysis Project) Developing agriculture to make it more a more attractive economic activity and to stop miners migrating from Cusco and Puno

8 The Course in a Nutshell 2019 marks the 6 th year for this program Harvard students work with counterparts at UTEC, Peru January (SA Summer) Harvard students go to Peru in Lima (at UTEC), Cusco, and the Peruvian Amazon June - 2 Harvard students from the J-term 2019 group will be selected to go to Peru for two months. August (NA Summer) UTEC students come to Harvard, SEAS Led by faculty at SEAS and UTEC 2019: Prof. Joost Vlassak (SEAS) & Prof. Carlos Rios (UTEC) Students strongly encouraged to leverage January activities into project with faculty, including for junior or senior thesis

9 Program Activities in Broad Stroke STEP 1 Developing Context Pre-Peru Departure Reading and First Day at UTEC Readings and videos in gold mining in Madre de Dios and agriculture in Madre de Dios and Cusco Background talks on mining, migration, and related social conflicts given by local experts, NGOs and scientist STEP 2 Field Experience Field Trip in the Amazon and Cusco Talks from area researchers and a farmers and miners points of view. Field Work STEP 3 Analysis Back at UTEC Identify Problems and Limitations Propose and present Improvements STEP 4 Analysis Summer at UTEC and Field Trip Harvard and UTEC students revisit and implement proposed solutions to improve SNAP STEP 5 Adv. Techniques Summer at SEAS Labs UTEC students revisit analysis techniques with state-of-the art equipment in faculty and CNS labs

10 Course Location in Peru IIAP Facilities Reforestation and Agriculture site (CINCIA) Puerto Maldonado Mazuco Ollantaytambo Cusco Mazuco Urcos

11 Field Activities: Using the Amazon and Cusco as Laboratory and Classroom

12 Field Activities: Review, Discuss, and Reformulate/Optimize Optimize solution Feedback from faculty and experts (Re-)Frame problem

13 Field Activities: It will not be all work

14 SNAP Participation Expectation Required Commitment of Participants: o Pre-departure information session (via video session) o Pre-reading and project development with UTEC students o Full participation in two week activities abroad Financial Expectations : o SEAS/UTEC will fund o Housing in Peru, certain excursions & cultural events, breakfast and lunch, and flights from Lima to Amazon o (Partial) flights cost on a needs basis only o Students: Cover visas, vaccinations, dinners, incidental spending and optional cultural events (e.g. Sandoval lake)

15 Contacts See also handout Questions can be directed to faculty and staff Administrative Questions Lila St. Joy: ( given in application form) Technical Questions re: trip Joost Vlassak: Julia Lee: Past student alumni who you can also reach for questions Bryant Huggins Sophia Lee

16 Useful links Application Deadline: 2018 October 29 Form: Crimson News Article Featuring Previous Trips Students Explore Cleaner Methods for Mining Gold:

17 Questions?