This spring break I am going on an alternative spring break through the Global Student Embassy and with fellow classmates. Rather than the traditional Florida party trip, I will be volunteering with a group of about 20 other students in the reforestation efforts throughout Ecuador!

The Global Student Embassy’s mission is to empower young leaders to become environmental stewards, social innovators, and community leaders. In collaboration with international peers, students generate and implement powerful community-based solutions to shared ecological concerns.

Western Ecuador as a region has suffered some the world’s worst rates of deforestation. Bahia de Caraquez is a coastal community that was gravely affected by El Niño in 1997 and a devastating earthquake in 1998. Following these natural disasters, local environmental groups re-envisioned Bahia as an ‘Eco-City’ and the populace has since placed a growing emphasis to manage the city and surrounding areas in a sustainable manner.

Starting in Bahia de Caraquez we stay in a bamboo house over looking the bay town with a host family. During our time there we work with a local high school in their greenhouse and work on the early stages of reforesting. Also in the area we boat down a river and plant mangroves, which is said to be an amazing unique experience!

Next we travel to la Punta Gorda, a beach reservation where we camp for three days. We are responsible for going throughout the rainforest and planting trees from the greenhouse we previously worked in. At night we are able to observe the bioluminescent waters along the beach!

I am asking you, my family, friends, and mentors, to help in the cost of getting me to Ecuador and helping me help others! All donations are tax deductible through this incredible foundation and any little bit helps me get one step closer to giving back!

The link to donate is below:

https://www.empowered.org/Northeastern-Ecuador-Spring-Break/Fiona-Watkinson/donate

For more information below on the GSE and to hear about others experiences, click the link below for a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hJLQyzMYy8#t=64

Thanks for your support,
Fiona