Learning & Changing Environmental and Sustainable Patterns.

ENVIRONMENTAL & SUSTAINABILITY

A NOT-SO-FILLED-ARK

In many parts of the world, community engagement efforts struggle when cultural context is overlooked. We faced this firsthand while working alongside ARCAS Guatemala—where environmental and educational initiatives were met with low participation from locals, and volunteers experienced cultural disconnect.

The challenge wasn't a lack of care, but a lack of shared language (other than nature) —socially, emotionally, and creatively.

RESEARCH & STRATEGY
Ethnographic Studies
Cross-Disciplinary Activation
Educational Cycles

DESIGN
Transformation & Service Design
Storytelling & Visual Design
Facilitation & Co-Design

PARTNERS
New England Biolabs
Creative Action Institute / Art Corps
ARCAS

DISCOVERY

⦿ We found also that piñata artisans struggles and their traditional craft quietly fading away.

Having a deep understanding of the needs and culture of the community, changes and challenges our perception of what needs to change.

PAIN POINTS

  1. Low Community Engagement
    Environmental and educational programs lacked local relevance and participation.

  2. Volunteer–Local Disconnect
    Minimal cross-cultural interaction limited mutual learning and trust-building.

  3. Cultural Shock & Misunderstandings
    SMEs, volunteers, and locals struggled with differing worldviews and communication norms.

  4. Siloed Expertise
    Scientific knowledge was not translated into accessible, community-driven practices.

  5. Underused Local Materials & Knowledge
    Traditional crafts and resources were overlooked in favor of top-down solutions.

  6. Short Program Lifecycles
    Limited continuity and local ownership undermined long-term impact.

NEEDS

  1. Culturally-Responsive Engagement
    Programs must align with local narratives, symbols, and traditions.

  2. Cross-Pollination Spaces
    Informal, shared environments (firesides, canoe trips, workshops) to foster trust and exchange.

  3. Integrated Learning Cycles
    Blended models that combine science, craft, storytelling, and recreation.

  4. Material-Based Learning
    Use of local, discarded, and symbolic materials for tangible, accessible education.

  5. Empowerment through Co-Creation
    Community members as collaborators, not just recipients.

  6. Sustainable Capacity Building
    Skills, tools, and ownership that outlast external interventions.

Pains Point & Needs

DESIGN

⦿ Local imaginary provide with symbols and histories of endangered species.

Insights & Solutions

We came to acknowledge that the educational solutions must emerge through co-design with the community, not just for the community.

ACTIVATING CULTURAL NARRATIVES

Our initial response was to co-create spaces and narratives for mutual exchange. Partnering with local schools and artisans, we co-designed workshops that blended environmental education with traditional craft, using symbolic imagery rooted in Mayan culture and local species of wildlife. These creative practices offered a universal entry point for cross-cultural connection—bridging gaps not just between local and global actors, but between heritage, preservation and hope. This approach has continued to inform how we think about inclusive sustainability, wherever we work: by honoring local knowledge, we build global resilience.

EXTENDING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY KNOWLEDGE & MATERIALITY

To truly activate learning cycles in cross-cultural sustainability, we brought together SMEs—including scientists, veterinarians, researchers, and conservation practitioners—into informal, experiential settings. Knowledge was exchanged not just in structured workshops, but around shared fires, during canoe journeys, and through participatory storytelling—blurring the boundaries between science, culture, education and lived experience.

We explored materiality by expanding the use of locally available and discarded materials—like snail conch, maize husks, and natural pigments—as tools for craft-making and educational engagement. These materials served as accessible, low-cost mediums for hands-on learning and creative expression. Beyond environmental awareness, they opened up opportunities for local entrepreneurship, skills-building, and circular economy initiatives. This tangible, place-based approach made sustainability actionable—supporting both learning and livelihood within the community.

⦿ Programatic Alignment

⦿ Community, Struggles & Cultural Narratives

⦿ Endangered Species

CONCEPT ECOSYSTEM MAP

SOLUTIONS

⦿ Workshops on Cross-Cultural Sustainability. Guatemala.

There is a sense of collective intuition and trial and error needed in order to support the challenges in many different ways.

70%

increase in local engagement following the integration of cultural craft-making and cross-disciplinary learning activities.