About

Sofia Irene Rigalt

Sometimes I wonder:

When is humanity going to wake up and give value to all natural resources? When will the day be when we return to our roots and decrease our consumption on earth? We need to learn to take care of nature, because it takes care of us and gives us everything we need to live. When will we be aware of this and return all that love and gratitude to nature in concrete actions? We need to help her regain her natural balance.

What is the most important thing in your life? What do we really need to be alive, to survive, to be happy?

For me it is having clean air, clean water, the radiant energy of the sun, healthy food and a green landscape. Create a healthy environment to develop a sustainable life.

I want to plant seeds of knowledge and hope in people’s hearts and minds!

Let’s travel and learn together to live a truly sustainable life. And this is not just a philosophy, it is possible, it is real, I already know the community that is being part of the change and they are distributed all over the world!

Everything is possible! Is just focus, is just give energy and trust in the universe and the process!

Objetives and skills

I am motivated, capable, organized, and highly creative. I am effective. I get things done. I manifest. I enjoy working with others. I am a team player. I always look at the bigger picture. The 10,000-foot view. I seek to educate myself and others. I am always learning. I synthesize all that I learn to build and nourish sustainable communities. I love my work and find fulfillment through service.

I work to improve the environment, the fertility of the soils, and the quality of water sources. I seek to produce organic, healthy, and high-quality natural products and services.   

 I have diverse experience working in research programs involving state-of-the-art permaculture techniques and principles and sustainable development network frames. I also involve myself with environmental education projects with children and adults with a focus on conscious awareness,  preservation of natural resources, ecotourism initiatives, and revival of ancestral knowledge in communities.

I like to plant seeds of ecology in the mind of the people…

My professional principles

Deep ecology

“Deep ecology is an environmental philosophy which promotes the inherent worth of all living beings regardless of their instrumental utility to human needs, plus the restructuring of modern human societies in accordance with such ideas.

Deep ecology argues that the natural world is a complex of relationships in which the existence of organisms is dependent on the existence of others within ecosystems. It argues that non-vital human interference with or destruction of the natural world poses a threat therefore not only to humans but to all organisms constituting the natural order.

Deep ecology’s core principle is the belief that the living environment as a whole should be respected and regarded as having certain basic moral and legal rights to live and flourish, independent of its instrumental benefits for human use. Deep ecology is often framed in terms of the idea of a much broader sociality; it recognizes diverse communities of life on Earth that are composed not only through biotic factors but also, where applicable, through ethical relations, that is, the valuing of other beings as more than just resources. It is described as “deep” because it is regarded as looking more deeply into the actual reality of humanity’s relationship with the natural world arriving at philosophically more profound conclusions than those of mainstream environmentalism.”

Permaculture

“Permaculture is primarily a thinking tool for designing low carbon, highly productive systems but its influence can be very pervasive! What can start as a journey towards living a more ecologically balanced lifestyle can go far deeper, even transforming our worldview and radically altering behaviour. This is the inspirational nature of permaculture, it is a means of connecting each of us more deeply to nature’s patterns and wisdom and of practically applying that understanding in our daily lives.

The discipline of permaculture design is based on observing what makes natural systems endure; establishing simple yet effective principles, and using them to mirror nature in whatever we choose to design. This can be gardens, farms, buildings, woodlands, communities, businesses, even towns and cities. Permaculture is essentially about creating beneficial relationships between individual elements and making sure energy is captured in, rather than lost from, a system. Its application is only as limited as our imaginations.

Permaculture is not just a green way of living or a guiding system of ethics, it is a way of designing using nature’s principles as a model; ‘bending’ them as much as possible to create fertile, self-reliant, productive landscapes and communities. This is what defines permaculture and it is uniquely effective and powerful. Where permaculture stands out from the crowd as a design system is in its capacity to integrate the intellect with ethics. It can teach us to ‘think’ with the heart and respond with the head. By combining pragmatism with philosophy, we can create a greater synthesis.

The three ethics are: Earth Care, People Care and Fair Shares. They are not exclusive to permaculture and were derived from the commonalities of many worldviews and beliefs. They are therefore shared by many throughout the world. What permaculture does is it makes them explicit within a design process; removing them from the realms of philosophy and practically rooting them in everybody’s lives. This transforms thinking into doing. It is their combined presence within a design that has a radical capacity for ecological and social transformation.”

Curriculum Vitae

Education

AGRONOMIST ENGINEER

2011-2017

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF CORDOBA
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
(UNC, FCA)

Overall average 7,02

2014 University exchange  Scale-Student program. (7 months)

Federal University of São Carlos (USFCar), Araras São Paulo, Brazil.

2011-2017

Complementary formation

COURSES, CONGRESSES, AND SEMINARS

2021 * Permaculture facilitator training curse. Permahope, Koh Phangan, Thailand.

* Permaculture design curse 72hs. Permahope, Koh Phangan, Thailand.

2017    * Self-learning course: Agro-climatic risk management in Latin America 36 hrs. (F.A.O.)

2016    * Agro-ecological visit “Living nature” biodynamic farm. Santa Fe, Argentina.

2015    * Healthy Food Day with renewable energies. Field school FCA-UNC.

* Course of Agroecological Orchard. Project PRO-Huerta- INTA; FCA-UNC.

* I seminar “dimensions of agroecology” FCA-UNC.

2014   * VI National Meeting of Agroecology Groups. São Carlos, SP, Brazil.

* Event “Land and food”. UFSCar, São Paulo, Brazil.

* III symposium of agroecology and rural development. PPGADR, UFSCar SP- Brazil.

* Courses in UFSCar SP- Brazil:

  • Sensory analysis
  • Treatment and use of
    wastewater
  • Energy and agriculture
  • Sustainable development
  • Forestry.

2013   * XXI Congress “Another Earth” of Aapresid. Rosario, Santa Fe, Arg.

2012   * Ecotoxicology Course. 60 hrs with final work. FCA-UNC.
* Training Course in Beekeeping Production. 60 hrs with a final evaluation. FCA-UNC.

2011   * XXIII National Congress of Agronomy students and related careers. 30 hrs.
FCAyF, UNLP La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

* Course in the Management of Marginal Agrosystems. 80 hrs. FCA-UNC.

FURTHER TRAINING

2017  *Theoretical-practical course of urban and rural survival (S.U.A.)

80 hrs with a final evaluation. First aid for survival (P.A.P.S), prevention of accidents, orientation, cartography, cabinetry and security in height, climbing techniques, rappel, signage: international codes, equipment, and clothing, trekking techniques, organization, management of risk and stress situations, etc.

Argentina Survival School, Córdoba. Argentina

Volunteer Work

2020

* Volunteer work in Phangan Community Garden, General manager.  Koh Phangan, Thailand.

www.facebook.com/phangancommunitygarden/

* Organization of Workshops and healing space at JAI THEP Festival, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

* Environmental awareness, art, designer, decoration, painting and model at Epizode Festival. (Volunteer Work, 2 weeks) Vietnam.

2018

* Volunteer work in the ONG “mutirão agroflorestal” Brazil.  http://mutiraoagroflorestal.org.br/

Concepts about syntropic agriculture of Ernst Gotsch with agroforestry organic systems and agroecology in the next places in Brazil.

Projects:

  • CSA (community supported agriculture) in ecovillage “aldeia do Antiplano” Brasilia, Brazil. http://mutiraoagroflorestal.org.br/conheca-o-csa-da-aldeia-do-altiplano/
  • Project “Art on earth” São Luiz farmhouse, environmental education with agroforestry systems. Sao Paulo. Brazil. http://www.artenaterra.com.br/
  • Participation in the agroflorestry reforestation project with WWF & MST (World Wide Fund for Nature & Movement of workers without land) Brasilia, Brazil.
  • Planting Agroforestry system in kawanawá ethnic group, native community from the Amazonian forest. Acre. Brazil.

* Volunteer work at the “Sitio Raiz” Agroforestry production. Brasilia. Brazil

https://www.facebook.com/Sitioraizagrofloresta/

* Volunteer work at IPEC (Institute of permaculture, Pirenópolis, Goiás). https://www.ecocentro.org/

* Volunteer work with Apiwtxa association. Ashaninka ethnic group, native community from the Amazonian forest. Acre. Brazil.  http://www.apiwtxa.org.br/

* Volunteer work in an Organic Coffee production, La Merced. Perú.

* Volunteer assistance in the Film Kipatsi, Nija, Añaantsi (Land, Water, Life), Perú.

Other experiences

2016   * Internships in organizations of small farmers in San José de la Dormida, Tulumba, Córdoba, Argentina.

* Student Counselor: Participation in the honorable superior council of the university (F.C.A.-U.N.C.)

2012   * Internships with small farmers in the Concarán Valley, San Luis, Argentina.

2011   * Participation in vicuña “Chakus” in natural reserves for live shearing

Data collection and blood samples for research in molecular genetics diversity in South American Camelids. IMBICE (Conicet, La Plata) and INTA. Laguna Blanca & Pasto Ventura, Catamarca, Argentina.

Previous Jobs

Teacher & organizer PDC

2021 Thailand

Permaculture design curse for tropical weather, Koh Phangan, Thailand.

Forest technician

2019 New Zealand

* Buck Forestry Services Ltd. Wood quality sampling
and permanent simple plot measurement program. Nelson, New
Zealand.

Gardening & Landscape

2018 – 2019 New Zealand

* Gardening and landscaping. Kiwi distillery, Golden Bay, New Zealand

Pruning & Harvest

2018-2019 New Zealand

* Vineyard: Pruning. Thornhill Company. Hasting, NZ

* Vineyard Harvest. Blenheim, NZ.

* Hops production. Harvest Blenheim, NZ.

Research

2016-2017 Argentina

* Research on subtropical pastures at environments with abiotic restrictions.

Student Scholarship (INTA AUDEAS-CONADEV) Manfredi Agricultural Experiment Station, INTA (National Institute of Agricultural Technology) Córdoba, Argentina.

Collection and processing of forage samples, experimental design of tests, Prosessing and analysis of data, bibliographic review, publications; etc.

2015-2017

* Research assistant: Chair of “Climatology and agricultural phenology” FCA-UNC.

Teacher assistant

2015-2017 Argentina

* Chair of “Climatology and agricultural phenology” FCA-UNC.

2013

* Chair of Animal anatomy and physiology FCA-UNC.

Manager & Chef owner

2008-2018 Argentina

* “LAS LILAS Tea House, Pizzas & Sandwiches”. Family run gastronomy business. Catamarca.

Administration, landscaping, waste management, public attention, cooking, chef, cleaning, decoration, etc.

Professional practices

2016-2017

* Beekeeping

Developing management guidelines with an Agro-ecological approach with producers in the northern area of Córdoba, Argentina.

2014

* Horticulture

“Diagnosis of the soil fertility of a production enterprise using Agro-ecological and bio inputs”
Movement of urban farmers in Cordoba (MAU), Chair of Agricultural Ecology, FCA-UNC and National Institute of Industrial Technology INTI.

Scientific publications

2017

* RUOLO M.S.; PÉREZ H.E.; VALDEZ H.; HAYES V.; GOMEZ A.C.; RIGALT S.I. 2017 “Effects of different deferred fall forage heights and light on panicum coloratum l. spring regrowth”

54ª.Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Zootechny Society. Brazil.

* RIGALT S.I.; RUOLO M.S.; PÉREZ H.E.; VALDEZ H. 2017″ Production and structure of Panicum coloratum L. under different intensities of defoliation”

Congress of the Argentine Animal Production Association.

Participation in projects of scientific research & technological development

2017

* Development of a remote instrument for the measurement of variable agrometeorological factors linked to water stress in crops.

Chair of climatology and agricultural phenology FCA-UNC. PROIINDIT.

Software & hardware: ARDUINO UNO. Design of instrumental, armed, programming and conducting laboratory and field trials.

2016

* Evaluation of the natural state and changes in the functionality of haplustoles frank lobsters from the province of Cordoba.

Chair of “water and soil management” FCA-UNC.

Tasks performed: Measurements of soil infiltration rate. Sampling for determination of soil structural stability. Data processing and analysis.

Languages, computer tools & Skills

Languages

* Spanish: native language
* Portuguese
* English

Computer tools

* Microsoft package: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher.
* Infostat: Statistical software
* WordPress.
* Canva

Artistic activities

* Music     
compositer, singer, guitar & armonic player.

* Dance
Tango & fires poi dancer.

* Painting & design

* Photography & videos

Therapies

* Reiki
* Akashic records
* Massage
* Yoga
* Meditation

Sports

* Swimming
* Rock climbing
* Trekking

Hobbies

* Cooking
* Nature, travel & Tourism