Cities need beautification because it creates a sense of pride for the residents of the city. No one enjoys telling their friends that the city they live in is ugly and run down, or completely utilitarian. Residents in the Galapagos should be able to state the name of their city proudly without others picturing it as an unpleasant place to live.

   Providing ways that the community can come together strengthens the sense of ownership of the town. There is no way for us to predict exactly what kinds of public events the communities will want, but we have some ideas.
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What: As a venue for local speakers and musicians, we will build a community performance hall.
Why Educational lectures and speakers will be welcomed and accommodated on the islands much better if there is a designated space for them to speak. Performances by local musicians, particularly young people, would be wonderful.
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What: If desired, we will fund and provide materials for a weekly artisan’s market on the village common.
Why Local artisans (makers of ceramics, woven materials, paintings, sculptures, etc) and children will have a chance to share their talents with the community, both augmenting the local economy and bringing the village closer.
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What: A garden of endemic Galapagos species to be grown, maintained, and studied by the children of the islands.
Why A garden is of course a beautiful thing to have, and a good way of educating children and tourists alike about the species specific to their island.
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What: Statues will be erected around the commercial sector of the city. These statues will be of important Galapagos figures, who will be determined by the residents of the city. These statues will be made of the fly ash cement, the same material used for the foundation of the houses.
Why: Statues can be used as educational tools for the children living on the islands. They will be able to learn about the important people who helped create the world they are living in. In addition, they are historical figures because the people were important to the islands. The reason fly ash is the chosen form of concrete is because of its strength, water retention, and easy workability. It is also made of recycled material, making it good for the environment, and less expensive than Portland cement.
   See http://www.toolbase.org/tertiaryT.asp?DocumentID=2072&CategoryID=1402 for more details about fly ash cement.
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What: Carvings will be etched into the buildings.
Why The carvings will add a bit of artistic flair to the outer part of the buildings. They will make each of the buildings unique. It is also a source of employment for the artists in the community, because they can carve their personal style into one of the buildings. Since the walls of the buildings are to be made of adobe brick, the carvings will be easy to create.
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What Murals will be painted on the walls of the city. Milk paints will be used for the murals.
Why The murals will add beauty and a distinct style to the city. The students in the city will be the ones painting the murals. This way, the students in the village have a project they can work on and be proud of. Milk paint will be used for the paintings because it is environmentally friendly and very durable, even outdoors. It is non-toxic, so if the paint accidentally touches some plants, no problems will arise.
   See http://www.realmilkpaint.com/facts.html for more details about milk paint.
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What Indigenous plants will be used for landscaping purposes.
Why In order to prevent exotic plants from invading into the area (i.e. the blackberry plant), native plants will be used. The native plants used will be from the city’s own island, not another island in the Galapagos. Birds frequent all parts of the Galapagos, and if the birds fly from one island to another unknowingly carrying seeds from an exotic plant, the non-indigenous plant species will spread. This may result in crowding out the native species. Therefore, for all landscaping purposes, native plants will be used.
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