La Hesperia, Ecuador, 2024

Day 1 - Head In The Clouds

After a full day of traveling, eleven eager EGLs grouped up at the Quito airport and met an aspiring rapper who also happened to be our driver to the reserve. What followed was a two-and-a-half-hour drive through the waterfall-filled highlands of Ecuador. We passed the time playing word games and catching up with our EG friends. Our van slowly gained altitude and we were quickly completely surrounded by clouds. Eventually, we broke through the layer into the thin air above. 

We arrived on the reserve and said goodbye to our beloved driver. What came next was possibly the most difficult hike of our lives. We realized all too quickly that our bodies had not yet adjusted to the altitude. Along the way we saw several monkeys which we later learned were endangered - just one of the many valuable species the reserve was working to protect. By the time we reached the reserve we were drenched in sweat and out of breath.

We were greeted by one of our hosts, Alexandra, an accommodating and amicable woman who was eager to show us around. She led us on a full tour of the reserve while explaining some of the political context surrounding Ecuador. She explained that even though Ecuador is home to a mega diverse ecosystem, the government does very little to conserve its unique forests. The county we are volunteering in only has one environmental officer and almost all conservation efforts are headed by private organizations and volunteers. She also explained that the government owns everything found underneath the ground in all of Ecuador. This means that if someone found gold or oil on their property, the government could seize it. The government also makes deals with private companies to search for oil on civilian land. If they find any, they can destroy any property in their path to find the oil. Alexandra told us how the oil companies sent helicopters to check for oil on the reserve. Thankfully, they found nothing. 

After our introductory tour she led us back to the house where we grew closer as a group over a hearty meal of carrot cream soup, rice, and chicken. Our day concluded with card games after a reflective conversation on our initial impressions. We all felt very privileged to have been given such a warm welcome by our hosts. We decided as a group that we would strive to speak with and learn as much as we could from the workers during our limited time on this fantastic reserve. Sleep came swiftly for us as we eagerly anticipated what the next day would bring. 

-Max West & Max Golub

Day 2 - Bosque Nublado

Welcome back to VA Ecuador day 2! We are having the best time exploring the reserve and learning more about the beautiful country! 

We woke up at 8 am to a great breakfast before heading on a two-hour hike up the reserve to the Tupi Stream. Along the way, our guide, Alexandra, and her intern, Luke, taught us so much about the different plant, insect, and animal species that reside in the area. We also got a chance to look at some cameras along the way that captured footage for research purposes. After a long journey, we finally made it to the stream that we walked through until we found the waterfall! 

We had the best time taking turns riding the natural waterslide and collecting macroinvertebrates along the way! This collection helps the reserve understand what species currently occupy the ecosystem. We then hiked back for lunch and got to enjoy the view on the way down.

After lunch, we took some time to relax before listening to an animal lecture from Alexandra. She showed us photos and videos from the reserve’s cameras (mentioned above) and explained the importance of preserving habitats so that these species can continue to thrive. We also learned about a research project performed at the reserve that studied monkeys' mimicking behaviors. Following the animal lecture, Alexandra gave us an informal Spanish lesson, hence our new name for cloud forest: Bosque Nublado! We enjoyed sharing the Spanish we do know while learning new words and phrases that will help us communicate with others on the reserve throughout the rest of the week. 

We then enjoyed a delicious dinner before heading back to the house. We invited the community at the reserve to join us at nightly reflection, where we had a great discussion about mitigating language barriers to maximize understanding and connection. We finished by discussing ways to learn more about the community and understand the locals’ perspectives.

-Kirin Raval & Kyleigh Calvert

Day 3 - Planting for the Future

¡Hola amigos! Welcome back for another update from Ecuador VA. A squad of early risers kicked off the day by joining Luke for a two-hour nature walk. They were able to experience nature waking up around them as the sun rose, spotting various bird species through binoculars and hearing them sing. The rest of the group joined Juan Pablo and Charlie, two of the managers of the reserve, to take the sheep and goats out to a field to graze for the day. They also learned about the importance of locally-sourced materials and sustainable building practices.

The two groups reconvened for a delicious breakfast, and then we geared up for a morning of reforestation on the reserve. First, we filled our cart with a plethora of gardening tools and tree saplings. Juan Pablo gave us full ownership of this project, allowing us to choose how to organize and transport our materials to the planting area. We were given a quick machete demonstration, and were then tasked with chopping one hundred equally sized bamboo posts using our own supply chain process. We then planted twenty tree saplings in an open grazing field and used our bamboo posts to support and protect the young trees. The purpose of these trees is to ensure that the insects and animals in the area have a more suitable shaded habitat. The reserve teaches the importance of humans coexisting with nature.  Although our efforts won’t have an immediate effect, in twenty years we hope to see our trees thriving and benefitting the wildlife.

After eating a hard-earned lunch, we enjoyed some card games and played with Chloe, the shepherd dog. With Chloe by our side, we once again helped Juan Pablo and Charlie, this time to herd the sheep and goats back into their enclosures. Once all the animals were back where they belong, our group joined the reservation staff for a (highly competitive) pickup soccer game. Although the language barrier has somewhat hindered our ability to connect with the staff, we were able to make great strides through our shared understanding of the game. Carlos, one of the cattle farmers, was the MVP of the game, scoring the golden-goal game winner!

After our intense soccer game, we ate a hearty dinner consisting of locally farmed beef and mashed potatoes followed by a chocolate crepe with strawberries for dessert. We then ended off the night with a group reflection and some more card games. With a very tiring day behind us, insomnia was not an issue for anybody!

-Joseph Dib & Cole Martin

Day 4 - Giving Life and Dealing Death (in a good way)

Wow, was day 4 packed! We started bright and early in the morning by helping the reserve let out their sheep and goats. It is always a pleasure to see how excited they get when they hear us walk by. After herding the sheep and leading the goats to a pasture to graze, we learned a lot about the sustainability of the farming of these animals. We learned that smaller animals like sheeps are great for single families as no meat will be wasted. We also learned that the reason why many people do not eat lamb is due to the markets demand for beef. This was one of the many small lessons we were given this morning. Juan Pablo talked a lot about the isolation of humans from nature and how at times we forget that even our smallest actions can cause unforeseen consequences. He emphasized the importance of intentionality, especially when volunteering this week. An amazing example he gave was when he discussed bamboo shoots. He explained that when they fall, if they are not properly disposed of, they can spread quickly and dominate the ecosystem. It is important to understand that when we use bamboo to build that we clean up after ourselves to avoid this problem.

After a productive early morning, we took the idea of intentionality to heart. Our next task was to split into two groups, one group worked in the farm while the other worked in the forest. The group in the forest was helping remove invasive plant species. Our group leader, Charlie, explained that these plants have taken over parts of the forest and take the water with them as well. By removing these plants, we can allow the natural ecosystem to thrive more. The work was extremely satisfying as we were able to really see the effects of our work before and after we took the invasive plants out! The other group at the farm was helping pick the vegetables from the garden and weeding to free up space for the plants that need to grow. Both groups then got to switch and participate in the other groups' work. It was amazing to see how every weed and plant taken out slowly became more and more visible. 

After all this action, it was just starting to be lunch. We quickly ate and then began to learn how to make coffee and chocolate from scratch. Alexandra led us through the process for both while discussing the context and history behind both. We then followed through the process to create our own chocolate and coffee. 

To cap off the day, we walked down from the reserve to explore the town below. We learned that the town came after the reserve and it was interesting to walk around and explore the small town. The town mostly runs off of commerce as they are off a major highway. All the locals were very friendly and we got to buy and try some Ecuadorian snacks. After making our way back to the reserve, we had dinner and made a bonfire. We were then able to use bamboo sticks to wrap dough around it to bake bread over the fire. We ended the night hanging out and reflecting on our time here. We dipped our bread in the melted chocolate we made and bonded over music. 

-Alvin Li

Day 5 - Things Are Heating Up

¡Bienvenidos otra vez a VA Ecuador! Today we had a lot on the agenda. A lot of us came into this trip not really knowing what to expect, and with a relatively light itinerary, we decided we wanted to add more activities. Alexandra, our main coordinator, came up with the idea of splitting into two teams and spending a day building two saunas. We collectively thought that it was a great idea and instantly jumped at the opportunity to get some hands-on experience in the cloud forest. 

Following a nourishing breakfast, VA Ecuador split up into two groups to have a friendly competition of who could build the best sauna the quickest. Each group collected raw materials such as bamboo and large leaves and then prepared them to be used to construct each sauna. When collecting the bamboo, we selected plants which looked older and more mature as they were the ones that would soon die if not harvested. Leaf collection also used a similar strategy in which we would find the tallest and darkest plants and chop them down using machetes to harvest the mature leaves on top. First, two students in each group used machetes and hammers to cut large bamboo logs into long thin planks. Other team members folded the leaves and prepared the foundation of the sauna by flattening the ground and digging holes for structural bamboo beams.

As the day progressed, one group finished up the sauna before lunch even began! We ended up getting it done so quickly that the people helping us out, Carlos and Freddy, didn’t really have any set plans for us. Throughout the process of building the sauna, we got much closer with these locals, leading to Carlos wanting to take us out for a little walk. Our whole group, not really knowing what was going to happen, just decided to head out into the forest with Carlos. As we began our short hike, we tried our best to communicate with Carlos in Spanish, helping each other out when one of us didn’t know what something meant. If someone had a question on what Carlos said, another person would pick up the slack. It led to us being able to have full conversations with Carlos, as well as get to know him and have some good laughs. Eventually, Carlos stopped us at a mandarin tree, hopped into the tree, and started chucking oranges at us! He came down and started peeling an orange with his machete gracefully while we got sticky as orange juice got all over our fingers. After more great conversations while walking back to the house, we had to bring some wood over to our newly built sauna. Carlos casually picked up a stump that probably weighed twice as much as he did himself, put it on his shoulder with one arm, and casually brought it over to where it needed to be. I can say for sure that I have never been able to connect with locals like this, especially ones that don’t speak English. It was truly one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. 

After the group reunited, we enjoyed a hearty dinner together and then some of us joined Alexandra on a night hike. The experience was very meditative for all as we slowly walked through the dark cloud forest trying to spot shiny eyes of nocturnal creatures using our flashlights. Seeing the forest at night left us in awe as we realized how truly different the world around us is in the dark. At one point, Alexandra instructed us to turn off our lights and just listen, and similar to an exercise we previously had earlier in the week, we were able to hear sounds from more than 30 species of wildlife. After concluding the hike, the VA Ecuador group wrapped up the night with some discussion about the people we met, wildlife we saw, and things we accomplished, and reflected on how we were impacted by the day. 

-Jack Brunell & Kaden Nathani