Davis International Fellow works to restore Ecuadorian village

Wheaton junior Megan Shea is spending her winter break in Ecuador, funded by the Davis International Fellowship. Shea is working to help restore the community of Bahia de Caraquez in the aftermath of natural disasters. The Davis Fellowship award provides funds to Wheaton students for international research during both the winter and summer breaks.

Shea is working with Planet Drum, an ecological organization whose aim is to ''provide an effective grassroots approach to ecology that emphasizes sustainability, community self-determination and regional self-reliance.'' She is participating in a program in ''Eco Ecuador'' which includes meeting with local governments and school groups, growing new vegetation for the landscape and leading work crews in their restoration. Shea also is working with efforts to create a pure water supply, appropriate land zoning, public transportation, and sewage treatment and waste disposal in the community of Bahia de Caraquez.

Shea is a student of Latin American political science, anthropology and history. She has traveled to Guatemala, Spain and Belize, in addition to Ecuador. Shea spent the fall semester in Granada, Spain.Upon her return to Wheaton, Shea will incorporate her experiences and observations into her thesis and a student-faculty paper.