Engineering for a Sustainable
Society
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2014 Year Report
A Chapter of Engineers Without Borders
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
2014
ABOUT ESF-ESS
SUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestryEngineering for a Sustainable Society (ESF-ESS) is a
group of over eighty engineers, scientists, landscape
architects and environmental scholars with an interest in
international development. Group members devote their
time and energy to help the chapter build sustainable
infrastructure abroad while also increasing domestic
awareness of the needs of people in the developing
world. The rewards for these sacrifices will be threefold:
joy when the project is completed, education on the
principles of sustainable engineering design, and
experience gained while working with fellow ESF-ESS
members, professionals, and other student organizations.
OUR MISSION
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
About ESF-ESS
Our Mission
Letter from the President
ESF-ESS Officers
Honduras
Peru
Haiti
Guatemala
New York
Our Mentors
Engineers with Appetites 2014
Burritos Without Borders
Save the Date! April 2, 2015
Sponsors and Collaborators
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“The mission of ESF-ESS is to unite the talent, training
and resources of organizations in the United States with
the need and drive for sustainable development
abroad.”
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2014
Issue 3
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
At SUNY-ESF, I often find myself in awe,
entirely inspired and captured by the passion
that drives the students around me. That
passion that surrounds our campus becomes
even stronger within our club, providing
drive and motivation to better the world.
Through engineering and the encompassing
social practices, we are able to do just that;
following the hurdles, struggles, and failures
we are bound to experience given the nature
of development projects. With our skillful
mentors, leading advisors, and generous
sponsors we have been successful in
overcoming project challenges and have
made significant progress in our projects in
Honduras, Peru, Guatemala, Haiti, and New
York.
The 2013-2014 year marks the 11th
anniversary of the establishment of our
organization, an impressive feat of student,
faculty, and professional dedication to
improving the world. I am excited to share
this newsletter which showcases our club’s
work over the past year. I hope you enjoy
the read and consider reaching out to us to
learn more or how to support us in our
projects.
Sincerely,
Thomas J. Decker
President 2014-2015
ESF-ESS OFFICERS
Thomas Decker
President
Samantha Meserve Kurt Dirr
Treasurer
Web Master
Taylor Brown
Thomas Decker
Honduras Project Lead Peru Project Lead
Kristine Ellsworth
Vice President
Kiana Morse
Secretary
Lia Dombroski
Kayla Besong
Local Project Leads
Douglas Reymore
Haley Canham
USA Representative Newsletter Editor
Taylor Brown
Public Relations
Alex Caven
Haiti Project Lead
Becky Meissner
Tyler Pitts
Jeremy Driscoll
Guatemala Project Leads
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2014
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HONDURAS
ESF-ESS STUDENTS TRAVEL TO HONDURAS TO FINISH POTABLE WATER SUPPLY PROJECT
BY TAYLOR BROWN
In August 2014, students Thomas Decker
and Taylor Brown were led by Professor
Ted Endreny to Buena Vista, Honduras to
continue a project that the ESF-ESS club
has been working on since 2007. The
purpose of the trip was to meet with the
people in the community and their water
board to sign a new Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU), evaluate any repairs
the system needed, and to begin each of the
eight tasks left before 100% completion.
Before the project started, the community’s
source of water came from a precarious
system of rubber hoses that were prone to
leaks and contamination.
The gravity-fed water filtration and
distribution system implemented by ESS has
provided approximately 45 families with a
clean reliable source of water in their
households for drinking, bathing, cooking
and laundry.
The project was designed to be sustainable,
in that the people of the community, could
eventually take full ownership of the system
and be able to maintain the system without
financial dependence on ESS. The
community helped greatly during
implementation and learned how the system
works so that they could perform routine
maintenance. The establishment of the water
board was critical for the long-term success
of the project. Giving people in the
community leadership roles allows them to
be mobilizers of their community and gives
them a sense of pride. Another important
factor to the success of this project is the
partnership formed with the nongovernmental organization (NGO) Alfalit.
They have helped maintain contact with the
community, organized the purchase of
materials and equipment, contracted labor,
scheduled meetings, and carried out actual
implementation.
This project has faced many challenges,
which has delayed completion. Delivering
materials for implementation was difficult
during the rainy seasons. Funding was also
lost in 2009 when Honduras faced a coup
d’etat and the club needed to find alternate
funding.
After the trip this past August, the final
funds were received by the community to
finish the distribution system. As of October
2014, all tasks proposed in the MOU have
been completed and the implementation
phase of the project is finished. The next
steps are to complete assessment of the
project over the course of 2015, and to move
forward with project closeout.
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2014
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PERU
RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THE ANDES MOUNTAINS OF PERU
BY THOMAS DECKER
Significant progress has been achieved in
the ESF-ESS Peru project to bring
electricity to a rural Andean mountain
village. The story begins in August of 2012,
when ESF-ESS President Thomas Decker
began a sustainable electrification project in
the community of Abra Malaga, Peru. Abra
Malaga has no governmental support to help
implement electricity in homes with no
indoor lighting or basic electrical services.
Thanks to an ESF alumnus, we learned of
Abra Malaga’s interest in partnering with
ESF-ESS and our club engaged the project.
After the initial planning stages, the project
was to provide and install solar panels and
pico-hydro generators as a sustainable and
long lasting energy source for
electrification. Our target was to bring
electricity to 20 homes in Abra Malaga and
to create education opportunities and
economic structure for the community to
ensure self-sufficiency.
Since project implementation began in 2013,
we have been able to reduce the number of
homes without electricity from 20 to 5,
through the installation of seven solar panels
and one hydroelectric generator. This was
tremendous progress for a relatively short
period of time, limited trips, and a modest
budget. Through fundraising and grant
writing, the Peru team has secured a
$10,000 IEEE grant to supplement
donations from Rotary Clubs and private
donors in upstate New York. With this
extended budget, the team has purchased
three more solar panel systems for
installation, and has the capacity to plan and
design a second hydroelectric generator.
With the implementation of this last phase,
all homes in Abra Malaga will have access
to electricity. In addition, these funds will
allow for the training of several community
members (men and women) in renewable
energy system installation and maintenance.
These members will serve as the technicians
of the community to provide maintenance
over time. If you have any questions, please
reach out to us and we will gladly discuss
our Peru project in more detail.
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2014
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HAITI
A NEW PROJECT FOR ESF-ESS
BY ALEX CAVEN
Bonjour!
Over the past year, ESF-ESS has begun
exploring ways of getting involved in
engineering work in Haiti. In March 2013,
five ESF-ESS members spent 10 days
getting to know the country, culture, and
people from northern Haiti. ESF-ESS
members journeyed from the beautiful Cap
Haitien, or O-Cap, as it is commonly called,
to the capital city of Port-au-Prince, and to
the recently devastated epicenter of the 2010
earthquake, Leogane. We saw slums where
displaced Haitians survive between sheet
metal walls, plastic tarp roofs and doorways.
We saw the lack of a sanitation
infrastructure, leading people to defecate
along sides of roads and rivers. We saw the
result of years of deforestation, which has
led to the dry, desolate countryside. We also
saw the lush tropical forests which still exist
in some parts of the beautiful mountain
villages.
Without the guidance of Sustainable
Organic Integrated Livelihoods (SOIL), a
non-profit located in Haiti, our trip would
have been much more difficult. They helped
us navigate language and cultural barriers,
opened their doors to us, provided
transportation, and introduced us to Haitian
food, culture, and people.
Another local organization, Green Haiti,
also helped us see more of the country. We
met with Haitian farmers and agronomists,
shopped at Haitian markets, and explored
Haitian Voudu temples. They showed us
soapstone mines and introduced us to the
sculptors who shaped the stone into statues
to sell in the markets.
After all the eye-opening and humbling
experiences in Haiti, our efforts turned into
a question, “What will we do as a club to
improve conditions in Haiti?” Stan Hovey,
a 1955 graduate of ESF, is currently in the
process of establishing a reforestation
program in Haiti, and he wants our help.
Stan has already established several tree
nurseries in locations around southern Haiti,
and has integrated his efforts with an
agronomy school near the capital. We intend
to develop a process for mapping trees as
they are planted by Haitian locals. Plans are
in the works for a second ESF-ESS trip to
Haiti during our Spring Break in March,
2015. Stan visited our club in early
November and discussed collaborative
efforts between himself, the agronomy
school in Port-au-Prince, and ESF-ESS club
members.
Onè Respè! Mesi anpil!
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2014
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GUATEMALA
COLLABORATION WITH THE SYRACUSE PROFESSIONAL EWB CHAPTER
BY JEREMY DRISCOLL
Beginning in May 2014, ESF-ESS began
partnering with the Syracuse Professional
Chapter of Engineers Without Borders’
(EWB) project in Guatemala. The club’s
mission is to improve health and quality of
life in developing countries, through
sustainable engineering practices. The
specific goal for this project is to work with
a community to improve sanitation and
hygiene through improved latrines. An
initial trip in May 2014, included discussing
details of the project with community
leaders and identifying a site for latrines.
Our trip consisted of three professional
engineers and four students, three of whom
are ESF-ESS members.
We traveled to Las Majadas, a community
of 400 students and their families near the
Santa Maria volcano in Guatemala. The
water system in Las Majadas is unreliable,
overall hygiene is inadequate, and sanitation
principles are not well understood.
We met with a Peace Corps volunteer and a
health care worker, both working in Las
Majadas, to help with translation and to gain
a better understanding of the community’s
needs. The community already has
composting toilets, but they are a very basic
design and most are near the end of their
useful life. The project aims to develop a
latrine design that will last longer and be
more hygienic to use. During our trip, we
collected soil and surveying data at each
location to better compare our three
proposed toilet designs. We met with
students, parents, and community leaders to
get input on our designs to facilitate human
centered design.
We are currently working on an alternatives
analysis for an ideal latrine design. We are
excited to continue to work with the
Syracuse Professional Chapter and the
community of Las Majadas into the future.
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2014
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NEW YORK
FINISHED LOCAL COMPOSTING TOILET PROJECT AT AMBERATIONS, MARIETTA, NEW YORK
BY KRISTINE ELLSWORTH
After two years of researching, designing,
planning and implementing, we are proud to
say the composting toilet was completed
over the summer at Amberations in
Marietta, New York. Amberations is a nonfor-profit organization that is dedicated to
supporting mental health through the
interaction with the natural environment.
Gloria Wiley, one of the founders of
Amberations approached ESF-ESS to
construct a composting toilet. A composting
toilet works to recycle human waste into
usable compost. Essentially food from the
earth is returned back to the earth, creating
a full cycle. Due to the low usage
expectancy, our design separates the urine
which can be used as a fertilizer once mixed
with water. Feces is collected and
transported to a two-bin composter where it
is mixed with carbon additives to accelerate
the composting process and eliminate odor.
All funds were provided through our club,
ESF-ESS. Advising and mentorship was
provided by Tony Russo. Special thanks to
Kristine Ellsworth for leading the project
and to everyone who has helped out along
the way!
OUR MENTORS
Dr. Theodore Endreny
Mark Fabian
Ryan Storke
PhD, PE, PH
Faculty Advisor
MS, Past PCV
Honduras Technical
Mentor
Industry Expert
Peru Technical
Mentor
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2014
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ENGINEERS WITH APPETITES
ESF-ESS’S THIRD ANNUAL ENGINEERS WITH APPETITES
BY SAMANTHA MESERVE
On April 1st, 2014 ESF-ESS held the third
annual Engineers with Appetites, which is a
dinner event for students, faculty and
professionals in the Syracuse area aimed at
raising funds and awareness about ESFESS’s current projects. This year the focus
was to highlight the upcoming completion
of our Honduras project, our Peru project,
and the possibility of new projects in Haiti
and Guatemala. Speakers at the event
included Ana Flores, ESF-ESS’s 2013-2014
president, SUNY-ESF’s new president
Quentin Wheeler, and Travis Mayo, an
employee of the United States Agency for
International Development. Mr. Mayo spoke
on the importance of the work being
undertaken by organizations like USAID
and ESF-ESS. Over 45 guests, including
professionals from O’Brien & Gere, Brown
and Caldwell, CHA, GHD, Arcadis, Dunn
and Sgromo, and numerous SUNY-ESF
faculty, alumni, and students attended the
event. The proceeds from the event helped
purchase materials for current projects and
also enabled students to travel to Honduras,
Peru, and Haiti to complete humanitarian
engineering work. We would like to thank
everyone who attended and helped to make
this night a success. We look forward to
next year’s Engineers with Appetites on
Thursday, April 2nd, 2015!
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2014
Issue 3
BURRITOS WITHOUT BORDERS
THIRD ANNUAL ESF-ESS BURRITOS WITHOUT BORDERS FUNDRAISER
BY BENJAMIN TAYLOR
We held our third annual “Burritos Without
Borders” fundraiser on October 8, 2014,
selling nearly 300 burritos, which raised
over $900 for our projects around the world.
We received generous donations from 7
local restaurants: The Mission Restaurant,
Alto Cinco, Moe’s, Don Juan Cafe, Steve’s
Cantina, Boom Boom Mex Mex, and Price
Chopper. Please show your support to these
local businesses! On the days leading up to
the fundraiser, dozens of hands were at work
organizing, shopping, chopping, preparing,
and picking up the various food items to
make a delicious burrito. As students and
faculty anxiously flooded into Nifkin
Lounge on the 8th, ESF-ESS members rolled
burritos with smiles on their faces. People
joyously chatted through the line as they
watched a fresh burrito be prepared exactly
to their liking.
Prices ranged from $4 to $7, depending if
cornbread, chips, and a drink were also
purchased. Like many SUNY-ESF events,
students were asked to bring a plate and “lug
their mug” in order to minimize waste. We
were even able to donate our extra beans to
a local homeless shelter! Thank you to
everyone who helped during the day or
behind the scenes. Look for us again next
year!
SAVE THE DATE!
Thursday, APRIL 2, 2015
SUNY-ESF’s Engineering for a Sustainable Society (ESF-ESS) invites you to the 4th Annual
Engineers With Appetites
Location: SUNY-ESF’s Gateway Center
Invitation to follow
For more information, please contact ESF-ESS at esfewbsd@gmail.com
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2014
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SPONSORS AND COLLABORATORS
HOW TO DONATE
You can make a donation/sponsorship by check, which can be sent to:
SUNY-ESF Cashier’s Office
102 Bray Hall
1 Forestry Drive
Syracuse, NY 13210
Sponsorship Categories
Gold - $1,000
Silver - $500
Bronze - $250
Please make checks payable to SUNY-ESF with Engineers Without Borders in the memo
As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, all donations to ESF-ESS are tax deductible
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2014
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Engineering for a Sustainable Society
A Chapter of Engineers Without Borders
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
For more information, please contact ESF-ESS at esfewbsd@gmail.com
Find us on Facebook as SUNY ESF Engineering for a Sustainable Society
Or check out our website at www.esf.edu/org/ess
A special thank you to all our writers!
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