All Articles Tagged With 2013 Sustaining the Amazon

Ecuador by Camille Schmidt
This student essay was submitted by Camille Schmidt from New York. There was a spider on my face. Wait, let me rephrase that: There was a large, black, hairy tarantula crawling across my face. “Smile,” Abellito, our guide and friend, snapped a picture. And I smiled. I didn’t even grimace. This was a normal… Read More
Tagged with 2013 Sustaining the Amazon

Student Essay by Arwen Neski
This student essay was submitted by Arwen Neski from Massachusetts. I never thought it would be possible to change as much as I did in the two weeks I spent in Ecuador. I did change. I am still changing. After seeing the world from a whole new perspective, I see myself in a different perspective…. Read More
Tagged with 2013 Sustaining the Amazon

Student Essay by Enrique Velazquez-Acero
This student essay was submitted by Enrique Velazquez-Acero from New York City. What is Sustainability? One of the definitions is “able to be used without being destroyed.” Another definition is “able to last or continue for a long time. For lack of better words, I believe that Sustainability connects to Resiliency. Is our planet Resilient?… Read More
Tagged with 2013 Sustaining the Amazon

Sustainable Summer in the Amazon by Elise Haan
This student essay was submitted by Elise Haan from Connecticut. My Sustainable Summer experience meant a lot to me because I was able to experience a new culture, make new friends, and learn about sustainability in a different way. My trip to Ecuador was a lot of fun but it was also very educational. I… Read More
Tagged with 2013 Sustaining the Amazon

Sustainable Energy Experience by Serena McDonald
This student essay was submitted by Serena McDonald from West Virginia. My adventures with Sustainable Summer were unlike any other summer program I’d ever gone on. I was concerned at first about what this trip would be like. Would I make friends, be safe, learn something new, experience a different culture and most importantly feel… Read More
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Student Essay by Jamie Feldman
This student essay was submitted by Jamie Feldman from New York City. Jeff gave us a task at the airport on the way to Ecuador: feed our group with $40, but it has to be the most “sustainable” food you think you can find in an airport. He released us and almost immediately the goal… Read More
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Rafting, La Ruta de las Cascadas, and Micro-Hydro
Here’s a quick post summing up our final 4 days in Ecuador. We closed out a fantastic 15 days in Ecuador’s Oriente with a highwater rafting trip on the mighty Rio Jatunyacu, a visit to the Runa Foundation, a couple of fun-filled days in Banos, and a site visit to a proposed micro-hydro project in Salasacas…. Read More
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Updates from the Amazon
Greetings from Tena, the Ecuadorian Amazon’s most agreeable city. Actually, we’re about 4kms outside of Tena at a lovely lodge on the banks of a crystal clear stream. Tomorrow we’ll go rafting on the Rio Jatunyacu, enjoying one of Tena’s most popular activities for which whitewater enthusiasts from all over the world come. But first,… Read More
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Welcome to the Jungle
Day two at our jungle lodge on the Rio Napo in the Ecuadorian Amazon is drawing to a close. We just returned from a scenic innertube float down the river to escape the afternoon heat. The morning featured a hike with our guides through the primary growth forest to learn about the local flora and… Read More
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Waterfalls, Hydroprojects, and Volcanos
Tomorrow, we’re heading to our jungle lodge on the Rio Napo in the Ecuadorian rainforest. We’ll be in a bit of an Internet blackout zone for the next 6 days so until then enjoy some pics from our time in Baeza and the cloud forest. We visited two dam sites: the 50MW Quijos-Papallacta Project and… Read More
Tagged with 2013 Sustaining the Amazon Cascada San Rafael El Reventador Papallacta Hot Springs Quijos Papallacta Dam Project San Rafael Falls Termas Papallacta Volcan Reventador