that region." --> "Day of reckoning for Ecuador's biodiversity" - Nature News
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| Petroleum blocks |
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Petroleum in the Ecuadorian Amazon
"Historically, such development north of the Napo River has led to widespread oil spills and surface dumping of formation water, and the opening of access roads has been followed by waves of settlers, deforestation, expansion of the agricultural frontier, acculturation of indigenous groups, timber harvest and the marketing of bushmeat, resulting in near complete destruction of
that region." --> "Day of reckoning for Ecuador's biodiversity" - Nature News
that region." --> "Day of reckoning for Ecuador's biodiversity" - Nature News
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Reflecting on Ecuador
One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, 'What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?'
-Rachel Carson
I just read this quote and realized this is exactly how I felt during my time in Ecuador. Already a month has passed since I left Ecuador, and it is starting to feel like ages ago. Sometimes I feel like it wasn't real. I am trying to find ways to make sure that my experiences and everything I learned there stay alive in my life. I am back at the same apartment, same job, same school, but I don't want things to be the same here after this trip. Everything there was new and different, and I constantly felt more aware than I typically do here. Although I would love to go back, I knew the whole time that it could be my first and last experience in Ecuador, in the cloud forest, in the rainforest, in the Andes. I think that this 'eye opening' was one of the most valuable effects of my trip there. It has been difficult at times to 'readjust' to life here in the US, but I think that is a really good thing, being forced to reevaluate everything here with a new perspective. I hope that in sharing bits of my experience with other people, it can help them open their eyes a little too. If anyone has any question about my experience there, I am more than happy to talk about it. But I would recommend to anyone reading this to go out and have their own eye opening experience too. And also to try to take Rachel Carson's approach anywhere, even if it may not feel new.
Flying over Miami on my way home, it looked like there were roads and buildings on every square inch of land. It made me wonder what has been lost; what will never be seen there again. Being in Yasuni, a biodiversity hotspot, made extinction rates that much more real. So many plant and animal species no longer exist, primarily due to habitat destruction. Some extinction is natural, but human population levels and activities are causing astronomical extinction rates. Habitat destruction is largely done by human hands, or man-made machines. I'm reading Rachel Carson's Silent Spring right now, describing the horrific poisoning of wildlife, plant life, and humans. Carson was seeing this back in the 60s; I can't imagine the effects of the chemicals we are dumping into the environment now. The tragedy isn't the fact that we will never see certain things again, but instead the ripple effects of these losses. Every loss has side effects that we can't, or choose not to foresee.
I don't know if all this will make sense, but it's what has been on my mind recently.
-Rachel Carson
I just read this quote and realized this is exactly how I felt during my time in Ecuador. Already a month has passed since I left Ecuador, and it is starting to feel like ages ago. Sometimes I feel like it wasn't real. I am trying to find ways to make sure that my experiences and everything I learned there stay alive in my life. I am back at the same apartment, same job, same school, but I don't want things to be the same here after this trip. Everything there was new and different, and I constantly felt more aware than I typically do here. Although I would love to go back, I knew the whole time that it could be my first and last experience in Ecuador, in the cloud forest, in the rainforest, in the Andes. I think that this 'eye opening' was one of the most valuable effects of my trip there. It has been difficult at times to 'readjust' to life here in the US, but I think that is a really good thing, being forced to reevaluate everything here with a new perspective. I hope that in sharing bits of my experience with other people, it can help them open their eyes a little too. If anyone has any question about my experience there, I am more than happy to talk about it. But I would recommend to anyone reading this to go out and have their own eye opening experience too. And also to try to take Rachel Carson's approach anywhere, even if it may not feel new.
Flying over Miami on my way home, it looked like there were roads and buildings on every square inch of land. It made me wonder what has been lost; what will never be seen there again. Being in Yasuni, a biodiversity hotspot, made extinction rates that much more real. So many plant and animal species no longer exist, primarily due to habitat destruction. Some extinction is natural, but human population levels and activities are causing astronomical extinction rates. Habitat destruction is largely done by human hands, or man-made machines. I'm reading Rachel Carson's Silent Spring right now, describing the horrific poisoning of wildlife, plant life, and humans. Carson was seeing this back in the 60s; I can't imagine the effects of the chemicals we are dumping into the environment now. The tragedy isn't the fact that we will never see certain things again, but instead the ripple effects of these losses. Every loss has side effects that we can't, or choose not to foresee.
I don't know if all this will make sense, but it's what has been on my mind recently.
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| View from Cotopaxi |
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| From Sunday River, Maine |
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Cotopaxi & the coast
Been a while since I´ve updated this! Had a very busy last couple of weeks here. Today is my last day in Ecuador, can´t quite believe it. These four months have flown by! After finishing my project in Intag, I came back to Quito in time to enjoy a little bit of the Quito fiestas, a celebration of Quito´s independence that culminates on the 6th of December. Wasn´t in Quito for the 6th but there was a lot going on that weekend before. Concerts, chivas (wooden party buses), bull fights (pretty expensive to go to, I didn´t), and lots of other events. Went to another fútbol game. On the 5th, our whole group reunited and went to a reserve called La Hesperia to do our project presentations. Very fun to see what everyone had been up to for the past month! Got back to Quito, wrapped up a few things, and then Saturday and Sunday a few friends and I tried to climb Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world! We got up to the basecamp Saturday afternoon, greeted by lightning, thunder, and a snow storm! We ate and tried to sleep for a few hours before waking up at midnight to start hiking, and luckily the weather had cleared up by that time. Basecamp is at about 4800m (15,750 ft), and the summit is 5900m (19,350 ft). Quito is about 3100m, and just at basecamp you can feel the altitude effects - headache, lightheadedness, little nausea. Once we got hiking though I started to feel better. I had snowshoe-hiked once, but never used crampons and an ice axe! It was interesting. I had to breath really deep every step because there is much less oxygen up there. It was a really strange feeling. We were really optimistic and had been planning this trip since the beginning of the semester, but unfortunately we ended up having to turn back around 5400m (17,700 ft) due to dangerous snow conditions since it had snowed so much the night before. At that point a lot of the hikers had collected, and everyone was feeling pretty disappointed. We were definitely bummed, especially since we hadn´t gotten to see much of the mountain, just the range of the headlamp, since we were hiking at night. But I am glad that we didn´t have to turn back on account of our inability to handle the hiking! It was still an awesome experience. Highest altitude I´ve ever been by far! We returned to the basecamp, drank some tea, and waited til sunrise which was absolutely amazing. I am not on my laptop right now so I can´t post photos, but I will try to get some up here soon. It was unreal. Very clear morning, you could see a lot of other mountains as well as Quito in the distance. Would have been a perfect morning to summit and see the crater, but I am trying not to be too bummed about it!
After returning to Quito and napping a bit, we set off for the coast, since it is the one major part of Ecuador that we hadn´t visited yet. Got to a small surf town called Canoa. I tried surfing for the first time! It wasn´t pretty, but still fun. Got some bruises, and came close to standing up haha. Definitely not a natural. We were able to meet up with some other friends there which was nice! Stayed there a couple days then headed to Montañita, a bigger surfing town where they hold international surf competitions. Had to spend a night in Puerto Lopez, a fishing town, and in the morning we went to the beach to see the fish market and the boats coming in with their catches. Got to Montañita later that day and spent a few days relaxing on the beach. The ocean there is a little bit colder than at Canoa, but it is a really nice beach. Pretty touristy but still relaxing. Cloudy and a little rainy the first couple days, but yesterday, our last day there, was beautiful. Perfect day to end our trip!
Flying out tomorrow, crossing my fingers that the weather cooperates! Can´t quite wrap my head around leaving Ecuador, but I am very excited to come home! Probably will feel some reverse culture shock, and I have gotten so used to speaking Spanish that I´m sure I´ll be a little confused for a while!
I´ll try to get some more photos up soon
After returning to Quito and napping a bit, we set off for the coast, since it is the one major part of Ecuador that we hadn´t visited yet. Got to a small surf town called Canoa. I tried surfing for the first time! It wasn´t pretty, but still fun. Got some bruises, and came close to standing up haha. Definitely not a natural. We were able to meet up with some other friends there which was nice! Stayed there a couple days then headed to Montañita, a bigger surfing town where they hold international surf competitions. Had to spend a night in Puerto Lopez, a fishing town, and in the morning we went to the beach to see the fish market and the boats coming in with their catches. Got to Montañita later that day and spent a few days relaxing on the beach. The ocean there is a little bit colder than at Canoa, but it is a really nice beach. Pretty touristy but still relaxing. Cloudy and a little rainy the first couple days, but yesterday, our last day there, was beautiful. Perfect day to end our trip!
Flying out tomorrow, crossing my fingers that the weather cooperates! Can´t quite wrap my head around leaving Ecuador, but I am very excited to come home! Probably will feel some reverse culture shock, and I have gotten so used to speaking Spanish that I´m sure I´ll be a little confused for a while!
I´ll try to get some more photos up soon
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Wrapping up the semester in Ecuador
Well, today is mi último día in Peñaherrera. Tomorrow I am heading back to Quito! It will be quite a contrast. But I am excited! Spending a few days in Quito finishing up my project, and then Sunday our whole group is reuniting and heading to a place called La Hesperia, a biological reserve in another area of cloud forest. We're spending a few days there to do our presentations and wrap up the semester. Then back to Quito for a couple days, attempting to climb Cotopaxi with some amigos, and a few days on the coast. I'm heading back to Maine on the 20th! This semester has flown by and has been absolutely amazing. I can't believe the places I have gotten to see and all of the experiences I've had - looking for monkeys the Amazon, snorkeling with tortoises in the Galápagos, fútbol games, parasites twice, and living in the cloud forest for almost a month, to name a few. This Thanksgiving was my first far from home, but I did get to skype with a bunch of family which was great. So grateful for this opportunity to travel! It still feels unreal at times to be here. Looking forward to heading home in just a few weeks to spend the holidays with family and friends!
Hasta luego!
Hasta luego!
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| Center of Peñaherrera |
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| Otavalo |
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| Typically cloudy day |
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Update from the cloud forest
Well, I've been in this town called Peñaherrera in the Intag cloud forest region for 2 weeks now. It's been a bit bumpy, running into some obstacles with my project, but overall it's going pretty well. Quite an experience. Peñaherrera is a small community, with a school and high school, a few general stores, a church, and a little radio station for the region. People here are really nice and helpful. Being in the middle of the cloud forest, and at the beginning of the rainier season here, it rains almost every single day here. You can pretty much count on rainy afternoons, although today is a rare almost rain-free day! Yesterday was gorgeous in the morning, and a few friends and I went to the thermal pools nearby. It is a little difficult to get around. My friend Corey lives in a town called Apuela, which is about a 20 minute drive or hour walk. I have been going there the past couple of weekends, there is a little more going on there. There are buses back up here, but kind of sporadic, and i end up asking all over town to try to find out when the next one will be. Despite the traveling difficulties, I actually get wifi in the park up here! No cell phone service, but that hasn't been too much of a problem. Very different experience here as far as communication, transportation, and concept of time here than in the US! Sometimes I ask people when the next bus will come, and the response "ahora mismo" (literally, right now) can encompass a range of times. Sometimes ahora mismo means the bus is coming right now, sometimes it means it will come in 2 hours. Difficult to plan, but things are working out for the most part.
For my project I am trying to evaluate some reforestation projects here. An organization here called DECOIN (Defensa Ecológica y Conservación de Intag) has helped support these community-run reforestation efforts in reserves protecting water sources. Deforestation here is a big problem due to agriculture and cattle pasture especially. Loss of vegetation can cause a lot of issues with the water cycle, leading to decreasing quantity and quality of the water sources. My project is part of a continuing study - a few other students from this program in the past have come and done a similar study. I was looking forward to the project, but it hasn't been going that smoothly. I had to get to 5 different reserves, and none of the people I needed to find there have a telephone. Tons of walking, but I have been getting used to it. The field work itself isn't enjoyable and there is a lot of Excel work which is not my favorite, but I try to remember that I'm in the Andes and it's still amazing, despite the difficulties I am having. I am learning a lot! 3 more data collecting days, then working on data analysis and paper writing.
I will try to write more about some experiences I have had here and more about what it is like, but I should get back to work at the moment. And shower, it's been a few days. I do get somewhat warm showers here! Overall, things are going pretty well, although I may have parasites again. But could be worse! Just wanted to write a little update about where I am/what I'm up to.
I am looking forward to getting back to Quito in about a week and a half and Maine in a month, but it is a very neat experience to be here for a few weeks!
Hasta luego! Happy Thanksgiving :)
For my project I am trying to evaluate some reforestation projects here. An organization here called DECOIN (Defensa Ecológica y Conservación de Intag) has helped support these community-run reforestation efforts in reserves protecting water sources. Deforestation here is a big problem due to agriculture and cattle pasture especially. Loss of vegetation can cause a lot of issues with the water cycle, leading to decreasing quantity and quality of the water sources. My project is part of a continuing study - a few other students from this program in the past have come and done a similar study. I was looking forward to the project, but it hasn't been going that smoothly. I had to get to 5 different reserves, and none of the people I needed to find there have a telephone. Tons of walking, but I have been getting used to it. The field work itself isn't enjoyable and there is a lot of Excel work which is not my favorite, but I try to remember that I'm in the Andes and it's still amazing, despite the difficulties I am having. I am learning a lot! 3 more data collecting days, then working on data analysis and paper writing.
I will try to write more about some experiences I have had here and more about what it is like, but I should get back to work at the moment. And shower, it's been a few days. I do get somewhat warm showers here! Overall, things are going pretty well, although I may have parasites again. But could be worse! Just wanted to write a little update about where I am/what I'm up to.
I am looking forward to getting back to Quito in about a week and a half and Maine in a month, but it is a very neat experience to be here for a few weeks!
Hasta luego! Happy Thanksgiving :)
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| El volcán Cotocachi, on a relatively clear day |
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| That town on the right is Peñherrera! |
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Back to Intag
I'm in Otavalo right now, making the trip back to the Intag cloud forest. I'll be there until the beginning of December, working on a reforestation project. Living with a family in a small town called Peñaherrera. Don't know much more than that so it will definitely be interesting! Looking forward to working on my Spanish. Brought the guitar that I bought in Quito recently! My friend and I went to a little shop near our school - the guitars are made right there, and we talked a lot to Fausto, who has been making guitars there for 40 years. He was so great, he even accompanied me home on the bus after I bought my guitar! So nice.
Here's a few photos from some flower plantations we visited and from a trip to Baños.
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| Political march in Quito |
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