Jaycie Cherry: Intern Spotlight
During my internship at Hacienda Mateo, a tree reforestation farm in the heart of the Amazon rainforest in Northern Peru, I had the chance to engage in a wide range of activities that connected me deeply to sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation. Being surrounded by the dense, vibrant Amazon rainforest gave me a new appreciation for the biodiversity and interconnectedness of ecosystems. Each day, I worked around 7 hours, taking on tasks that were essential to the farm’s daily operations. Some of the key activities I performed regularly included weed whacking, planting trees, cleaning, and harvesting crops. A significant part of my work also involved the production and pressing of coconut oil, which we did for about a month out of my internship. This process, which was carried out over several days, taught me the intricate details of organic oil extraction, cutting the coconuts, shredding the coconut meat, drying the coconut, and finally, pressing the dried coconut shreds into coconut oil, an essential product for the farm's income. I also participated in soap-making, where I learned how to craft and package organic soap, using materials harvested directly from the farm.