Who we are

A cultural and scientific institution, with a civil and non-governmental character, dedicated to research and promotion of projects and programs for the environmental protection on its relation with culture and society.

Mission

To work towards a culture of the nature with the objective of harmonizing the relationship between society and its environment through:
The dissemination of the environmental work of Antonio Núñez Jiménez and of the Foundation.
Collaboration and research in the areas of geographical history, the environment, culture and society.
The maintenance and recuperation of the environment and a dignified quality of life.
Training on environmental issues.

Working Programs

1
Publishing and promotion of Antonio Núñez Jiménez work, includes all the collected data of the author in more than 50 years of expeditions and research work; in topics as climate, Geology, Anthropology, History, Culture, as other important issues about the formation of the Cuban Nation.

2
Environmental Program, contributes to form a social awareness worried for the harmony with the environment, that allows people to live with the nature in a sustainable way. Is divided in 2 main branches, the Environmental Education and the Urban Agriculture. The first one includes projects with direct influence on environmental conflicts, training, information dissemination, educational resources production, School naturalization and local solution to environmental problems.

Ecological alerts S.O.S. series
Round tables organized to promote exchange and call the attention in order to solve urgent environmental problems with he participation of the community and the experts involved in the problem. We have done already: SOS Caribbean Sea (1994), S.O.S. Almendares River (1996), S.O.S. Máximo River Marble baths (1996), SOS Toa River (1997), SOS Island of Youth (1998), S.O.S. Almedares River II, SOS Yaguajay Coasts (1999) and SOS Yumuri Valley (2000). The funds for these round tables comes of different sources and projets.

Cuba - Canada Ecological Restoration Project
We implement this project with the partnership of the Evergreen Foundation and funds of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). It involve educational action associated with reforestation in five schools of Havana, assist the Metropolitan Park of Havana on the construction of its permanent nursery and develop a group of strategic planning action for our institution as our environmental program.

Environmental education and trining fot the management of solid wastes
On this project, funded by the Heinrich Boell Foundation, from Germany, we trained a community of Havana on the solid waste management, related with agroforestry actions in the community done by the people. The goal is to encourage citizens towards the management of their environmental problems.

Environment and consumption
With the financial support of FACUA from Spain, this project integrates on its goals the defense, information and education of the citizens on their position of consumers and users of goods and services with the environment protection. In the present conditions of the social and economical development of Cuba. We educate consumers, to the closer relation between environment and consumption

Condado Sur Social Project
This project, funded by OXFAM family, contributes to the environmental restoration of several public spaces of Condado Sur a neighborhood on the peripheral part of Santa Clara City, in the center of the country. The local community movement identify as a priority the ecological restoration of the area and the improving of the living quality of its inhabitants.

"Se Puede" (It's possible) magazine
This project, financially assisted by KATE and North South Bridge from Germany, support the publication of our magazine "Se Puede", one of the few grassroots environmental publications in Cuba. This is one of the main parts of our Environmental Education work

Culture and reforestation
With the financial assistance of The Italian NGO Terranuova this project, already finished, allowed the community reforestation, with traditional trees and medicine plants, of a sector of the Metropolitan Park of Havana and the Pogolotti neighborhood.

General research of the Toa River watershed
This site, located on the Eastern extreme of the country has one of the few remaining Amazonian rainforests at the North Hemisphere. Our Foundation, with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, research the actual status of this ecosystem and warns about the consequences that its destruction could bring.

Permaculture projects in Havana.
Since 1995 we have been developing with the Green Team, the Australian Conservation Foundation and the financial assistance of AUSaid, a number of actions intending to include permaculture in the Havana's Urban Agriculture system. Using promotion, training in four level courses and a network of demonstration gardens is the main part of our Urban Agriculture branch. Several advisers and volunteers have come to work with us.

Permaculture action in Havana
This project funded by OXFAM UK, completes the permaculture actions that we have been developing in Cuba, is addressed to community based processes in highly urbanized neighborhoods.

Seed Savers Cuban Network
Already finished and coordinated between our Foundation, the Urban Agriculture Group the Green Team and funded by the Australian Embassy in Mexico, this project try to preserve the locally adapted and indigenous varieties of plants between the seed producers and people, advising them on production, preservation and exchange.

The impact of Urban Agriculture on local economy in two localities of Havana City
Sociological Research Project funded by the International Development Research Center (IDRC) of Canada this project tries to professionally evaluate the advance of Urban agriculture in the last years and its impacts on the population. Its results can be very useful to propose long term strategies about the development of city agriculture.

3
Cultural Service Program Having the aim of promoting action linking ecological topics with art forms as theatre, paintings, dance and music to contribute the formation of aesthetic values established on the harmony of humans with nature. This program also involves a library (Information Center), a Museum and photography and printing services of our Foundation.

Conference cycle about the Science and the Culture in the Cuban Nations
Relevant Cuban personalities delivers their knowledge through a group of conferences organized in our Institution and that will be published in a form of a book.

Territorial Organisation

We have offices in six Cuban Provinces: Pinar del Rio, Matanzas, Sancti Spiritus, Holguin, Santiago de Cuba, Camaguey and the Municipality of Baracoa. We also have a Delegation in Mexico City.

Publications

- Encyclopedia in 50 volumes "Cuba, the Nature and Humanity". 12 volumes edited until January 2000.
- Quarterly Magazine Se Puede vivir en Ecopolis, 10 000 copies per issue, nationwide.
- Bimonthly Booklet "Medio Ambiente y Consumo", 500 copies distributed different institutions and media.
- Bimonthly Booklet "El Permacultor", 1 000 copies, provincial wide

Partner Institutions

• Australian Conservation Foundation, Green Team, AUSaid, from Australia
• The Evergreen Foundation, Lifecycles, Ecoinitiatives, Canadian Urban Institute, International Development Research Center WWF, CIDA from Canada
• FACUA, from Spain
• Kate, North South Bridge, Heinrich Boell Foundation, from Germany
• Caribbean Policy Development Center (CPDC)
• Caribbean Natural Resources Institute CANARI
• OXFAM Family
• CIVICUS, European Institute of Submarine Archaeology
• National Geographic
• Consumers International
• Mexican Center for Philanthropy
• Cuenca Municipality, from Ecuador

Address:

Avenida 5ta B, No. 6611 entre 66 y 70, Miramar, Playa, La Habana, Cuba.
email: funat@cubarte.cult.cu
(Project section) funapro@cubarte.cult.cu
teléfonos: 24-2985 fax: (537)24-0438
Project Section tel/fax: (537)24-5947