Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Women Defend Coastal Wetland

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CARACAS, Apr 20 2009 (IPS) - Dozens of women from the town of Tacarigua, 80 kilometers from Caracas and located within the boundaries of a 39,000-hectare national park, have begun a project for collecting and recycling garbage. “We are organizing solid waste collection teams in the neighborhoods of the national park (which is managed by the national government) and that will lead the way to units of production,” like small businesses or cooperatives. In turn, that “will bring money to households and community initiatives, such as replacing asbestos roofing,” Evelyn Pallotta, environment director for the northern state of Miranda, told Tierramérica.

Companies like the multinational firm Owens-Illinois contributed machinery, and the government will provide micro-credits to get it started, she said.

The Tacarigua Lake Park, east of Caracas, is habitat or a migration route stop for 212 bird species, 20 mammal, 52 fish, 17 crustacean, four mollusk and 16 reptile and amphibian species. The mangrove forests cover 4,000 hectares.