El Programa de Eco‑Guardianes es una iniciativa de educación ambiental que empodera a jóvenes indígenas y fortalece la resiliencia comunitaria mediante el aprendizaje práctico fundamentado en prácticas regenerativas, la soberanía alimentaria y el Conocimiento Ecológico Tradicional (TEK).
Arraigado en el legado indígena de autosuficiencia y resiliencia, este programa combina capacitación en habilidades prácticas con enseñanzas culturales para fortalecer las capacidades a nivel comunitario. Las y los participantes reciben una formación integral que incluye operación y mantenimiento de huertos e invernaderos, aprenden el arte del compostaje y la vermicomposta, así como el cultivo de plantas nativas y comestibles que reflejan los ecosistemas locales y los sistemas alimentarios tradicionales.
A través de mentorías y oportunidades de trabajo, los jóvenes adquieren las herramientas necesarias para convertirse en cuidadoras y cuidadores de la tierra y en líderes dentro de sus comunidades. El programa también enfatiza la reducción de residuos mediante prácticas de economía circular, ayudando a las y los participantes a reimaginar los desechos como un recurso valioso.
Implementado en comunidades como Mînî Thnî y Eden Valley, el Programa Eco‑Guardians ofrece un modelo flexible que puede adaptarse a las necesidades de escuelas indígenas y rurales en todo Canadá y México. Los huertos comunitarios y los invernaderos funcionan como aulas vivas donde el estudiantado se conecta profundamente con la tierra, aprende a cultivar y conservar sus propios alimentos, revitalizando los sistemas de conocimiento tradicional.
Al cultivar liderazgo ambiental, orgullo cultural y habilidades prácticas regenerativas, Eco‑Guardianes empodera a las futuras generaciones de guardianes de la tierra comprometidos con construir un futuro regenerativo basado en valores indígenas y en el bienestar comunitario.
Program Offerings:
Growing Food
Learn how to manage and sustain the growth of diverse plants in community gardens and greenhouses. Topics include soil preparation, planting techniques, crop rotation, organic pest control, harvesting, and seed saving.
Regenerating Ecosystems
Apply gardening skills and regenerative agriculture practices by cultivating native plant species and establishing food forests. Explore the cultural significance, medicinal and nutritional uses of native and endemic plants, while contributing to biodiversity and land regeneration through culturally grounded approaches.
Composting
Learn the art of composting through hands-on experience with both thermal composting and vermicomposting systems. Participants operate and maintain composters to transform organic waste into nutrient-rich soil amendments, effectively diverting food scraps from landfills and advancing zero waste goals. By managing temperature, moisture, and the balance of green and brown materials, and by working with Eisenia fetida (red wiggler worms), learners deepen their understanding of microbial life, soil health, and the ecological value of compost. These practices support food production with higher nutritional value than conventional industrial agriculture, while restoring soil ecosystems.
Testimonial
Stoney Nation Job Resource Center
Elizabeth Romo‑Rabago’s work with Ciclomanias and the Mini Thni Community Schools has been truly impactful. Her leadership in teaching foundational horticulture skills has inspired our youth to explore future pathways as botanists, ecologists, horticulturists, agronomists and landscape architects. Ciclomanias integrates traditional knowledge with hands‑on learning, motivating students to reconnect with the land and their cultural identity.
The Stoney Nation Job Resource Centre partnered with Ciclomanias to launch the Eco‑Guardians Youth Training and Mentorship Program, which provided education, employment, and a safe, supportive work environment for youth throughout the summer. Participants gained experience in gardening, site maintenance, composting, and waste management, core components of the Eco‑Guardians initiative.
The 2025 Ciclomanias Eco‑Guardians summer work experience program was a great success, and we hope to see Elizabeth’s work continue. This mentorship opportunity is much needed in our community, and we look forward to building on the strong foundation created through this partnership.
Lionel Crow
Program Manager
Stoney Nation Job Resource Center
Mînî Thnî Community School
“Elizabeth Romo-Rábago is a passionate educator whose work with Ciclomanias has had a lasting impact on our students and community. Over the past three years at Mînî Thnî Community School, she has delivered hands-on, culturally rooted environmental education that blends science with Traditional Ecological Knowledge. From teaching composting and zero waste practices to reviving the Three Sisters planting method, Elizabeth inspires youth to reconnect with the land and take pride in their cultural identity.
Most recently, she co-developed the Eco-Guardians Youth Training and Mentorship Program in partnership with the Stoney Nation Job Resource Centre and Stoney Trail Wellness Centre. Thanks to this initiative, our students now have paid summer positions in community gardens, gaining skills, confidence, and leadership as future land stewards. Elizabeth’s work is a model of what land-based, youth-centered education should be.”
Jamie Martin
Foods Program Teacher, Mînî Thnî Community School
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