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Give $20 for the Turtles…and we’ll make it $40!
 Are
you still buzzing from your journey in Costa Rica? Was it last month,
last year or even a decade ago? We understand! We love that country too,
and with every trip we are enchanted and inspired by the amazing
projects and people that we encounter. Would you like to leave a lasting
fingerprint on your favorite place? We
have a
new campaign just for you!
Lately, EcoTeach has gotten dozens of emails from our past travelers
asking what they can do to support the projects that they’ve visited on
their trip. At the same time, the EcoTeach Foundation – our non-profit
partner – has also been getting requests from the projects in Costa Rica
asking for help. We’ve never made a concerted effort to connect our
returning travelers and our projects – UNTIL NOW!
We have just launched a campaign called “Give
$20 for the Turtles” to help our Costa Rican partners with their
very worthy efforts. In fact, if
you give $20 before Friday, July 22, EcoTeach will match your donation,
doubling its impact! Check out
our
giving registry on OurWishingWell.com and choose from a list of
current needs about how you’d like to allocate your money. Of course,
donations to the general fund will be much appreciated, and will allow
us to prioritize the most pressing needs. If you have ideas about ways
our money should be spent,
let us know. We’d really like to know what you think.
You know how far your dollars will go in Costa Rica, and if you give now
your impact will be doubled. Click
here to find out more or to give now. Pura Vida depends on our
support!
 In
May, EcoTeach guides traveled to Nicaragua (several leaving Costa Rica
for the first time) and put themselves in the role of “traveler” vs.
leader. EcoTeach Operations Manager, Pika Viquez, enlisted the help of a
local Nicaraguan guiding company to provide a journey filled with
authentic cultural exchange and hands-on experiences. They visited an
orphanage, toured the old colonial town of Granada, boated in Lake
Nicaragua, dined out in the city, visited a museum and even went volcano
boarding.
During the expedition, EcoTeach guides participated in “real life experiences,” a practice developed by Viquez, that motivated each guide to seek out the personality of Nicaragua and create their own individual experiences with the Nicaraguan people. They chatted with local people on a ferry ride, tried their hand at horse corralling at a local farm and worked with artisans at a ceramic studio. Viquez also threw in a little planned chaos for the guides. He orchestrated changes in the day’s itinerary without telling the guides, asked the local guiding company to show up late for activities and “forgot” to coordinate meals with the restaurants.
Viquez’s goal was to recreate many of the feelings and experiences that any traveler encounters when visiting a new place. “Our guides are used to being in control and knowing exactly what to expect. We wanted to take away their security and see how they would respond to the unexpected. We shared experiences each evening and everyone agreed it was an amazing experience. They laughed hysterically when they found out that we planned a few problems along the way,” said Viquez.
EcoTeach is dedicated to creating travel experiences that combine education with conservation and recreation with cultural awareness. We want our travelers to have their own “real life experiences” and work hard to ensure they get to know the local people, have opportunities to participate in vital community projects and leave feeling like they’ve become part of the culture.
EcoTeach guide training is an annual event attended by EcoTeach guides, staff
and partners. Viquez has been running guide training for the past three
years and focuses the training on continuing education, site visits,
safety and fun and adventure.
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Connect, Share & Stay Informed
Want to stay connected to EcoTeach? Get inspired about our destinations here!
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Did You Know?
 In 1987, Costa Rican researchers counted 1,500 adult golden toads in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. The following year, just 10 were found. In 1989, only one was found. Since then, there have only been two unconfirmed sightings.
The golden toad is a small, shiny orange toad and was abundant in the region. There are many theories as to its disappearance – volcanic eruptions, the warming El Nino winds and currents, acid rain, depletion of ozone layer, chemical pollution, habitat destruction or disease. Some believe that it is simply in hiding, waiting to emerge, just as the harlequin frog (also thought to be extinct) disappeared and was rediscovered in 2003 by Yale University researchers.
Excerpt from EcoTourism and Sustainable Development by Martha Honey.
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