Boston Flora

Tag: Ecuador

  • Friday, October 28 – Sunday, November 6, – Ecuadorian Cloud Forest & Galapagos Islands

    The Galápagos Islands were Charles Darwin’s “Living Laboratory of Evolution,” named for the tortoises that roam the lush landscapes of the small archipelago. This Pacific Horticulture Society active learning adventure on October 28 – November 6, is an opportunity to experience the islands’ highly specialized and endemic flora, fauna, and environments in a way that most visitors to the Galápagos seldom do—through fun activities like snorkeling, hiking, kayaking, and biking. You’ll learn about the natural and human history of the islands during visits to North Seymour, El Chato Tortoise Reserve, Mosquera Islet, Punta Carrion, Cerro Mesa, and a host of other highlights on the Enchanted Islands. The Ecuadorian Cloud Forest awaits; brimming with floral species of epiphytes, ferns, palms, and nearly 50 species of hummingbirds. The enormous biodiversity of this region is like none other!

    For information, visit https://www.pacifichorticulture.org/tours/ecuadorian-cloud-forest-galapagos-islands/

  • Sunday, November 2 – Saturday, November 8 – Volunteer Gardening Trip to Ecuador

    Volunteer in a native tree nursery, work with kids in a school garden, and experience the culture and biome of highland Ecuador with the Tandana Foundation.

    When: Arrive in Quito on the night of Saturday, November 2; Leave Ecuador on the night of Saturday, November 8, and arrive back in the U.S. on Sunday, November 9, 2014.

    Where: In the Andean highlands outside of Otavalo, Ecuador. Lodging will be at La Posada del Quinde in Otavalo; a lovely inn with great food, free wi-fi service and friendly staff. Ecuador is a beautiful country on the equator in South America that is on the Eastern time zone and uses U.S. dollars. Spanish is the major language. Tandana will provide group coordinators who are fluent in Spanish. The weather should be in the 70’s during the day and quite cool at night.

    Why: To help 23 communities who have joined together and created an operating nursery to raise native trees to plant in their watersheds and protect their water supplies. We will be collecting seedlings, weeding, planting trees, etc. The nursery is run by a dedicated plant-lover, Matias Perugachi. You can see a video of him on the Tandana Foundation blog. We will also help children with their school garden and teach them a garden-related lesson. And, we will learn about another culture and biome.

    Cost: $1,200 double occupancy, $100 additional for single occupancy. Plus: airfare and personal expenses. The trip fee covers all the basic expenses (food, lodging, transportation, activities) from when you land at the Quito airport until we drop you off there.

    How to sign up: Please register by filling out our online registration form: http://www.tandanafoundation.org/registration_form.html.  Send a check made out to the Tandana Foundation for $1200 (double occupancy) or $1300 (single occupancy).  The mailing address is 2933 Lower Bellbrook Road, Spring Valley, OH 45370.

    Tentative itinerary:

    Saturday: arrive in the evening.
    Sunday: orientation and visit the world-famous Otavalo market.
    Monday: help in a minga, [community work party] planting trees in one of the communities. In the afternoon, participate in a traditional cooking class and learn about the plants cultivated by local families.

    Tuesday: collect seedlings for the tree nursery. In the afternoon, tour a rose plantation.

    Wednesday: work all day at the tree nursery, potting the seedlings we collected, weeding, and trimming roots.

    Thursday: work at the tree nursery most of the day, and then visit Cuicocha volcanic lake (photo below.)

    Friday: teach a lesson about plants to school children and help them work in their school garden. In the afternoon, visit a master weaver.

    Saturday: visit the high-altitude páramo to see another biome, have a celebratory dinner at a hacienda, then head back to Quito and fly out at night.

    http://latintrails.com/uploads/f0/d6/f0d6a927aecaa5f333389e4abc9dd440/lake-cuicocha.png

  • Friday, October 18 – Friday, October 25 – Gardening Volunteer Vacation in Ecuador

    The Tandana Foundation is organizing a Gardening Volunteer Vacation to the beautiful Andean highlands outside of Otavalo, Ecuador from October 18 to the 25th.

    The volunteers’ primary purpose on this trip will be helping out at a local tree nursery. They will be doing a little bit of everything at the nursery including planting trees, pruning roots, digging ditches and pulling weeds. The volunteers will also collect saplings which they will plant at the nursery

    The nursery was built by an organization representing 23 indigenous villages, called UCINQUI. UCINQUI sells the trees in order to earn money to help the 23 communities with health, education, and other projects. Most of the trees are used to protect water sources and reforest in the 23-village area. The Tandana Foundation has assisted with infrastructure projects for the nursery, including acclimatization beds and a greenhouse.

    Helping out at the nursery is not the only gardening work the volunteers will be doing. The group will participate in a minga, a community work day, helping plant trees in a local community. They will teach a lesson about plants to the students at the Ulpiano Navarro School in Quichinche and will work alongside the students in the school garden. The volunteers will also have an opportunity to learn about the plants cultivated by local families.

    When they are not having fun digging in the dirt, the group will have plenty of time to enjoy the local culture and see beautiful scenery. They will visit the world-renowned Otavalo market and participate in a cooking class taught by a local chef. They will enjoy a demonstration from master weaver and visit Cuicocha volcanic lake. The volunteers will relax each night at lovely La Posada del Quinde in Otavalo.

    The trip will cost $1,200 if the volunteer wishes to share a room or $1,300 for a single room. This cost does not include airfare or personal expenses but does include food, lodging, transportation and activities while in Ecuador. To register for this trip please visit http://www.tandanafoundation.org/gardening-volunteer-vacation.html.

    The Tandana Foundation is a non-profit organization that offers cross-cultural volunteer opportunities, scholarships, and funding for small community projects in highland Ecuador and Mali’s Dogon Country. Tandana coordinates service projects and volunteer vacations that offer visitors to Ecuador or Mali the unique opportunity to be guests rather than tourists, to form cross-cultural friendships, to experience a rich indigenous culture, and to make a difference in the lives of new friends. Its scholarship program allows rural Ecuadorian students to continue their secondary education. Its community projects help villagers in Mali and Ecuador realize their dreams of improving their communities. Otavalo photo below from www.2backpackers.com. For more information about The Tandana Foundation, please visit www.tandanafoundation.org.

    http://2backpackers.com//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Streets-of-Otavalo.jpg

  • Thursday, October 8, 6:30 – 8:00 pm – Snapshot of Galapagos

    The Galapagos Islands have always attracted the imagination of potential visitors for its landscapes, fauna and high number of endemic species.  A booming tourism industry coupled with a resident population explosion from mainland Ecuador has forced the World Conservation Union to include Galapagos in the World Heritage in Danger List.  In his recent trip to these islands (another tourist?), Eduardo del Solar spent considerable time with Galagueno educators interested in conservation and reform.  For this Thursday, October 8 presentation at Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center, 500 Walk Hill Street in Mattapan, beginning at 6 pm, he will use his photographs and the website he created to talk about issues that face this incredible site.  For more information, log on to www.massaudubon.org.