Cross cultural youth collaboration on reforestation, beach camping, and adventure! Trip leader: Joe Stewart (RHS)

This itinerary highlights main activities and projects that students will partake in each day. This is an overview.

Some of the worksites will change based on progress by local students and staff between now and Spring 2014.


Day 1) Group meets at (group’s) airline ticketing area and proceeds as a group through the airport.

Day 2) Arrive in Quito for travel to Bahia (8 hours) In Bahia, group heads to ‘Casa Gorda’ (GSE’s house on a hill above Bahia), and get settled. Dinner and welcome is at
Casa Gorda with GSE staff and neighbors.

Day 3) Travel to ‘La Punta Gorda’ nature preserve after breakfast (20- minute ride). Take hike in late afternoon to

visit reforestation sites for those up to it. Continue relaxing at La Gorda GSE camp. Soccer, frisbee, swimming, etc.
Evening bonfire and BBQ to discuss the following day’s work.

Day 4) After breakfast, hike to reforestation sites and participate in “Tropical dry forest ecology/natural history
workshop.” Work planting until 2:30 with local GSE students. Afternoon is free at Punta Gorda beach. Afternoon
activities include beach sports, games and hike.

Day 5) Early start: reforest at a site directly above the beach. Work until early afternoon and return down to the
beach at 2:30 for lunch and soccer game. Afternoon will be spent swimming, hiking in the forest, and carrying
trees to reforestation sites for volunteers interested in continuing work. In the evening: a discussion about tropical forest ecology and a bonfire.

Day 6) Day 3 of reforestation after breakfast. In Return to Bahia for a late lunch after the workday. Back in Bahia,
group will check out the school garden located at Escuela Miguel Valverde where Miguelito the Galapagos tortoise
lives, group can feed the big guy. Small groups will explore Bahia with GSE staff joined by local students; watch the
sunset on the sea wall and then head up to Casa Gorda for dinner.

Day 7) After breakfast, the group will go to Isla de Corazon to see the more than 20,000 birds that live in colonies
in the mangrove preserve. After lunch the group will go to work at “Fanny” high school on GSE’s greenhouse and

school garden projects. After work, students will have the chance to play soccer and basketball with students from
the school and have a dinner all together at Casa Gorda after.

Day 8) In am, group will travel to Puerto Lopez to visit the spectacular: Playa Los Frailes. Spend the day exploring
this beach town in small groups, hanging out on the beach souvenir shopping and just relaxing! Meals will be at local restaurants. Group will stay at Hostal Fragata.

Day 9) Spend second day hanging out