Abigail Collingwood: 6/13-6/19

I went to the Amazon this week, and what an amazing week it was! When we arrived on Friday, Kelly, another volunteer, gave us a tour of the reserve and introduced us to Alejo, the owner. Kelly was at the reserve working on her thesis paper. She is studying the medicinal plants, and what their names and uses show us about the Quichua culture and traditions. I always loved talking to Kelly about the forest. She was so knowledgeable about all the plants, but she also knew that she had so much more to learn about them. It was a really amazing perspective to be exposed to while working in the Amazon. I would love to be able to read some part of the world as well as she reads the medicinal plants. Additionally, it's pretty cool how much the Amazon has to offer for research. Kelly is studying the plants and people, while other researchers stop by to study the plants, and two other volunteers are studying social spiders.

On Monday, we started work! We were out weeding their pineapple garden. The soil in the Amazon doesn't have a lot of nutrients, so the pineapples here are about a third of the size of those in the Galapagos. The volunteer director, Jonas, is from the Quichua community. His first language is Quichua, so I'm picking up a couple of phrases from him. It's interesting to be in an environment where everyone is speaking their second language. We definitely rely on laughter and smiles a lot, which keeps us all in a good mood!

On Tuesday, we planted some trees! Mine was a chucho tree, and will take 20 years to grow. It's really cool to think that I have a tree growing in the Amazon. It definitely keeps me environmentally conscious when I'm at home. I'm recycling more and things because I don't want it to get cut down!

On Wednesday, we went out to harvest cacao! First, we had to cut the cacao from the tree, and then split it open with the machete. My task was to scoop all the pods out and then collect them in a bag. It was really neat to think that I planted cacao in the Galapagos, and here I was harvesting cacao in the Amazon. Between the Galapagos and the Amazon I took a little trip to Mindo where they have a chocolate factory, so I learned about the process of making chocolate there. I really learned a lot about chocolate this trip!

Wednesdays are also Soccer Wednesdays in the Amazon, so we went to the local pitch to play a game. It was super muddy, so we played in our socks. We were all slipping everywhere and were caked in mud by the end. We were all constantly laughing though, so it was pretty hard to play! It's amazing how something like soccer can bridge language barriers and bring a group so close together. I can't believe I only knew the people I met in the Amazon for a week. It felt like so much more.

On Thursday, I left the Amazon. I am so so grateful for my time in Ecuador and feel so lucky that I got to spend time in the Amazon, even if just for a week. I learned so much about the place and feel changed because of it. It has definitely inspired me to see more and see more deeply, to get involved more, and to learn more about my impact on the world.