CEC is located at the edge of Lake Atitlan, on the slopes of the San Pedro volcano. The rich and fertile volcanic soil supports a diversity of native trees, bamboo, medicinal plants and cacti and good harvests of citrus fruit, avocados, coffee and maize for family use. The water's edge supports a variety of reeds.

Only accessible by boat and with little human impact, it is an ideal location to develop a sustainable model of managing these rich natural resources

Over last 10 years the land has been care for a worked by an indigenous family using ancestral knowledge of the natural (weather and lunar) cycles and traditional agricultural techniques. This will be shared and developed as part of the courses which will interconnect an understanding of the need for a sustainable use of natural resources and the context and needs of local communities through knowledge sharing and practical hands on learning and demonstrations sites:

• Understanding soil conservation ; Creating organic compost, impact of deforestation and changing water levels
• creating a sustainable  integrated forest and food model which also enhances biodiversity (integrating native forest, fruit trees, coffee, maize, medicinal plants
• enhancing biodiversity and creating biological corridors and enhanced habitats for insects, birds and animals.
• creating seed nurseries for fruit trees
• cooperatively managed and fair trade agricultural produce
• sustainable fishing