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We’ve stayed in our home stays now for two nights and it’s been really great to get to know the host families and get to see their daily lives. We helped today by visiting two schools where we spoke, danced, and played with the students. We also toured the schools and helped to paint a…
Today we visited Jungle Mike’s butterfly farm and learned about all different species of butterflies and all the insects and bugs that live in the jungle. In the afternoon we played soccer with all the local kids. It has been a lot of fun to connect with the community here and it has helped me…
Today we spent a lot of time with kids from a school in Coyote. We arrived and began an activity that explained the predators of newly hatched turtles to the students. Then we were given costumes that portrayed the predators while the kids dressed up in turtle costumes. We played a game of tag, where…
Hello, back home! Our first full day in San Diego is coming to a close and we have already learned so much. We started our day riding the trolley to Old Town where our incredible host Alex Gomez taught us some of the history of California, including the impact of the Mormon church in fortifying…
Yesterday we left San Miguel and Turtle Trax, which was bittersweet. I am very grateful for the time I had there, as I learned so much and made memories that I will never forget. For me, the most impactful part of working with Turtle Trax was being exposed to the amazing, thoughtful NGO leaders and…
To start off the morning we visited the local elementary school and saw some traditional dances. We all loved watching the dances and learning about how the girls learned how to dance. In addition, we showed the kids some American line dances and taught a few of the girls the Cotton Eye Joe. We loved…
The Turtles II group has arrived safely in Costa Rica and is now driving to meet our partner Turtle Trax at their field study location.
Today, we started the day by sleeping in until nine. After breakfast, Juan took us on a walk on the beach. Because it was so hot, we found a shady spot along the beach where we sat in a circle as Juan, our guide, taught us the process that must happen after finding a turtle…
oday was a mix of learning and relaxation. We were able to go to the turtle trax office and learn more about turtles from a researcher that we haven’t seen before. She had a lot of knowledge and expertise about specific turtle facts. The information helped us be more aware of all the threats to…
Today we were asked to write about a life lesson we have learned on this trip and how we will use it to influence our daily life back home. Although I acknowledge the prompt, I am going to stray from it a little in writing about a lesson that has followed me throughout my life…
Today we woke up early in order to be at the greenhouse on time. When we arrived at the greenhouse, Edger split the group up into smaller groups who would each completely different tasks. One group transplanted trees from small pots to large bags which were reused. Another group fixed the mesh along the greenhouse…
Hi my name is Ellen Cabin and I am a rising senior from North Carolina. Today we had a leisurely morning before meeting with Niel Christiansen, the founder of Give and Surf. Then, in the afternoon we split into our groups and each went to work with our groups of kids. Three highlights today would…
Today, our fourth day on our Shoulder to Shoulder excursion to Costa Rica, we woke up an hour later than the previous days in order to recover from our first turtle patrol. For our turtle patrol, we split into four groups. Two groups left the house at 10:30 to do the first hour and a…
Today we woke up bright and early at 6:30 for a delicious breakfast cooked by our awesome chef! We had pancakes and fruit, and then we headed to the hatchery. At the hatchery, we met some amazing researchers who truly care so deeply about the work they are doing. We helped out by splitting into…
Tonight, during our group discussion, we talked about some of the characteristics of ethical leadership. While all eight qualities we discussed tonight are important to being an ethical leader, the two that stand out to me are applying global perspectives and showing a strong sense of empathy. Both of these characteristics allow a foreigner down…
One student from each center was able to journal today: Andrew M The relationship established between students of shoulder to shoulder and young students of Panama is built on the ability to communicate physically as well as emotionally through empathy and constructive teaching. Our group on Cristolbal has been working on creating a relationship of…
The Turtles I group has arrived safely in Costa Rica. They will spend the night in San Jose before departing tomorrow morning for their field study site.
One of the 10 essential principles of a shoulder-to-shoulder experience is “whenever possible, we work shoulder-to-shoulder with locals…because the relationships we develop and the learning that occurs through them are as important as the project itself.” This is the principle that resonates the most with me. Relationships are truly an important aspect of both our…
Today started like any normal day. We woke up, ate breakfast, and did our permaculture work. My group finally finished the metal sheet fencing while the other group weeded a bit and finished up composting any beds we did not finish. We then took our group photos with our SStS shirts. Then, we had teatime….
What is a memory that you bring with you home? I enjoyed the afternoon swims next to the hotel and I learned that there is a type of apple called “marañon”. I loved seeing the reefs and the fish but my favorite part was going back to the centers and developing my relationships with the…
The group returned to Urubamba today after an impactful week in the mountains. We worked with school children in Cuncani to inspire pride in their mountain ecosystems and installed a new irrigation system in the school’s greenhouse; and we had the opportunity to harvest potatoes alongside the Cuncani community members who came out to support…
It was really satisfying to wake up hearing the crashing waves and the palm trees swaying in the distance. After leaving the bed and opening the windows you could see the beautiful colors of the houses and a bright sun for beginning the day, (I couldn’t really enjoy it as the alarm didn’t work and…
If I could describe myself in three positive words I would use funny, hard-working, and studious. If I was to describe myself with three negative words I would use worried, fearful, and anxious. Whether I am using positive or negative words, all of these words make up who I am, or so I thought. If…
All is well in Cucani – great day working with local children. And resiliency is strong with cold weather camping!
Today was our first day of project work. We helped clear a field right outside of Tiriji, learned about permaculture, and made compost. The university students came out to help us and we had the chance to talk to them and learn more about who they are. The project work was hard, but to see…
This morning, the group spent their time on a tour of Rancho Verde’s organic farm. Not only did we see many different plants, but at each new species we paused to learn about the plant’s essential role in the jungle and in the lives of the family that lives on the farm. Our tour leader…
The group spent the day in Nairobi, visiting a giraffe sanctuary and learning about the history and culture of Kenya. Tomorrow they are off to Meru!
A long day but our leaders report “the group had a great day learning and the Quechua people with visits to Maras, Moray and Ollantaytambo archeological sites. Great context for the history and culture of the people we will be working with in the mountains. We will be up very early tomorrow morning for a…
Next stop, Cuzco
Good evening from Round the Bend! Today was such a wonderful day on the farm, everyone woke up late as a result of late night star gazing. Jorge, Sydney, and Celia started their day by helping Nate with concrete mixing and helping fill hexagonal shape frames for the cement. As for myself and the rest…