In March 2026, Mr Mark L. Miller, head of Econtrovertia APS, organized and led the first meeting between the trees’ stewards for the beginning of the 2026 period, with the important participation of the representatives from some of the institutions collaborating on the project.

After an initial overview of the period 2020 – 2026, during which Mr Miller described how the project was conceived, developed, and expanded, the conversation then turned to those who bring the Agrecol Trees Project to life every day.

The school principal from the Unidad Educativa Taquiña “A”, Margarita Cadima Sejas, shared insights into her experiences and the way she handles the supervision with the guardians of the trees, with the support of the parents and other teachers. Her main concern is water scarcity, which worsens every year, although she hopes for a quick improvement in the near future.

The president of the O.T.B. Corralones – Sacaba, Mr Edgar García Carvajal, then spoke about his love and commitment to the plants and shared his hardships, including the difficulty in watering the plants. However, he also informed us about some actions already taken to fix such an issue.

He also called for the implementation of training strategies for plant handling, such as teaching tree guardians the basics of pruning and fumigation. 

Finally,  the representatives of Centro Caramarca shared their success. Their apple trees are already bearing fruit. This improves the diet of the 27 elders who are currently living there.

Laslty, Mr Miller introduced the new Communication Manager for the Agrecol Trees Project, Esther Tarifa, the author of this text. He also introduced the 2026 communities of agroecological guardians, along with the head of Hogar Arca de Rescate, who was also in attendance.

Figure 1: Mr Mark L. Miller showing the updates on the project. Author 2026.