We are excited to update you on the continued growth of the Taproot programs in Ecuador!
Almuerzos is the program we founded and fund to support in-need seniors in the community with
weekly meals. Taproot travelers will have multiple opportunities to participate in meal preparation and delivery, and chances to meet Roque, Tere, and Ele, the remarkable folks who make Almuerzos happen, as well as the wonderful people it directly benefits.
Raíz Principal is our forest regeneration project on Taproot’s property, a rugged, hard-used, and beautiful piece of land a 15-minute hike from the beach up into the hills. Here, we’re guiding the land back to its natural state of tropical forest, by clearing the invasive grass and planting trees. Instead of buying “carbon offset credits” of dubious value, we will reduce the impact of our air travel by planting trees with our own muscles and shovels. A short distance away is a huge swath of unbroken tropical forest, where we’ll hike on the Ruta Colibrí along the banks of Río Ayampe, see the diverse plant and animal life, and find inspiration for our conservation endeavors.
In between sessions of good volunteer work, we’ll fill our time in Ecuador with surfing, yoga, fishing, beach games, engaging conversations with cool people in Spanish, English, and other languages, eating delicious food, and living life to the fullest. Visit the Programs page for more information.
We are extending the registration deadline to October 15 to sign up for the Spring Break Adventure to Ecuador, to give families more time to think and decide. We are also expanding the eligible participants to include alumni of Taproot Leadership Camp in 8th grade through recent high school graduates.
The news about turmoil in Ecuador certainly has our attention, though we are getting information from several sources as we continue to develop our plans for our trip. As you all know, media outlets often amplify the worst parts of the news, and can give the false impression that an entire country is on fire when the reality is much less dire. We are still confident that the risks involved in this adventure are in alignment with the potential rewards, and we are eager to see how things evolve in Ecuador in the coming weeks and months.