The CAS trip with Manheim school from Pennsylvania was something I was looking forward to ever since the very first CAS tour we did. The February 2025 trip was the second trip for this school, this time they wanted more service.
During the planning stages for these adaptations it was important to talk directly with the people involved so Paul and I went on a Road trip. We Left at 5 in the morning we drove through the avenue of volcanoes, to Banos where due to the big group we checked in with the hotel le petit jardin had a break and then continued down the meandering mountain roads in to the emerald green forest that is the Amazon Rainforest.
We arrived at Omar’s botanical gardens and checked out the location where the students could camp and then continued to Guayusa Runa where we went over the itinerary and decided to take a detour on the way back via Tena eventually arriving back to Quito at 12.30am Sunday morning.
During this trip Paul asked me if we could improve the tree planting and do it in a new location and said what about Pitirishca, at first I hesitated and asked him to give me time to see if we could get it together.
After a trip the next weekend down to Pitirishca and the community Tsuraku, and talking to some of the members of the community we decided to so it and this is where the Nunkui Project was born a Reforestation project that aims to regenerate, reforest, rewild, protect an area of 20 hectares to begin with, while at the same time offering opportunities of work to the community that does not involve damage to the environment.
In the beginning the plan was to set up a plastic roof in case it rained, I had prepared an area where the students could gather but not set up the roof, this is when Paul said we need to make it nicer and with 3 weeks to go we arranged a structure to be built with Paul’s help, everyone hired was from the local community bringing income and work to the locals. It was a tight schedule and in the Amazon people don’t and sometimes can’t work when it rains, as the dirt roads turn to mud and make it impossible to transport material.
It was finally completed one week before the tour. The area for the tree planting was cleared of the tall grass and the equipment was all ready to start. We also had a budget that we used to get the equipment needed to be able to operate the activity and work with the community.
We were ready!
The students arrived on the 12th of February but our first day was on the 13th of February.
Day 1.
The introduction went smoothly and the students as always were really smart. Our first stop was the Recycling center, My first time visiting as this part Paul had organized. The group was divided into 4. I was lucky that our guide didn’t speak English so I was able to translate and then include questions to help the students relate it to things back home and get them thinking right from the start. We were able to touch on many of the SDG’s here including Life on land, life below water, climate action and a great one here is partnership for the goals. The thing that really stood out for me here was that at Manheim the cafeteria only has disposable knives and forks and gets through around 2000 of them every day!
Next stop was Lunch at the Mitad del Mundo, after lunch we went to the Intinan museum and after the Pululahua crater and finally the monument site, here we did our first reflection and it was really positive, everyone used their notebooks that were given to them during the introduction. Many of them were impressed with the ideas gained from the recycling center. The most amazing thing happened here when we all were sitting down in deep reflection when suddenly the sprinkler emerged from out of the ground, I shouted RUNNNN!!!! And throughout the whole tour I didn’t see them move so fast as I saw them on that first day
SDG’ 9. Industry, Innovation and infrastructure. 15. Life on land, 14. life below water, 13. climate action 17. partnership for the goals.
Day 2
This was a day that started at 7.00 for breakfast and we were on the bus by 7.45 on route to Quilotoa, one thing that held us up was the traffic which added an hour on to the journey. We stopped at a gas station to fill up on Gasoline and for the students to get snacks and use the toilets. I had a stroke of luck here as I was able to procure some molasses which was a key ingredient for the composting we were going to do in a few days. We continued down the road stopping off at the Pujili market which was really interesting for the students and even attracted attention from the locals. We then stopped off at a traditional house where a local family lives in the mountains. It was hard for the students and some of the teachers not to pet the dogs but I was strict with the health and safety rules here we were able to talk about responsible production and consumption. We set off again, the clouds were starting to get darker, and we feared it would rain. When we arrived to Quilotoa, all of the students descended to the lake, and everyone did the Kayaking, it was great to see everyone so eager to push themselves, On the way back to the top of the crater, I went with the fastest of the group who got to the top in 35 minutes and almost killed me. On the way up it started to rain, everyone was very wet, I waited at the top for each person to get to the top and it wasn’t any surprise but I asked each of them and they said it was the hardest thing they had done in their lives. After everyone made it to the top and only 2 had to take horses. We finally took the long road to Banos arriving at around 22.00 where there was Pizza waiting for us.
SDG’S 4. Good health and well being. 15. Life on Land
Day 3,
After breakfast and time to reflect on the previous day’s activities in which we agreed with Larry that we would discuss things that we are grateful for, loved or appreciated from back home. We drove down the mountain roads and arrived to Guayusa Runa where we all received a welcome and divided into 2 groups, My group was to stay in Guayusa Runa first, after we got settled in and left things in our room it was time to harvest Manioc and sweet potato and then go to the Tilapia pools to try our hand at fishing. This was a particularly challenging part as we had one student with a bee and wasp allergy and I had the task of chaperoning her around the Amazon and brushing wasps off her and stopping them from getting close. We survived the wasps and then walked back to the house to prepare the food. This involved peeling Yuca and preparing the fish by wrapping them in leaves, It was great to see how enthusiastic the students were, many who had never done anything like it before! After a good lunch which we had all helped to prepare we tried our hand at spear throwing and blowing darts through the blow pipes. One we had an activity for the boys to weave and the girls made clay pots, and after all of the group played football for 2 hours and finally we danced around the fire.
SDG’s 11.Sustainable cities and communities and 8. Decent work and economic growth. 10. Reduced inequalities 5. Gender equality. 1. No poverty
Day 4 Omar Tello and his botanical gardens
Waking up at 5 am we all sat in the smoky hut and talked about our dreams. The Students all loved it and it was a great way for them and all of us to look at life in a different way, Learning to share our worries and not try to carry that weight on our shoulders. 
Then we did an hour of reflection and went to the bus to take us for Dinner in Guayusa Runa. Just before we did Sarai and I went to talk to Omar about the night walk and Sarai got bitten by a big Dog, luckily we had the first aid kit with us and before putting a plaster on it rinsed it under cold water. She was really shaken up by it. When we got to Guayusa Runa the guys there were really nice and helped get a plant to help the swelling and the bruising go down. When we got back to Omars some people didn’t want to do the night walk so Sarai stayed with the ones who didn’t want to go and I went to translate and lead the group, it was the perfect time to tell scary stories which everyone loved except Tammy!
We took a long time so people were tired when we got back but it was worth it!
SDG 13. Climate action, 14. Life on land. 15 Life below water. 3. Quality education
Day 5 Tsuraku Tree planting
After breakfast and the opportunity to buy handicrafts at Guayusa Runa we set off to Pitirishca, Stopping to buy snacks in Simon Bolivar and the gas station for the toilet just after. We continued down the road, we arrived and got booted up, it was a Godsend that it didn’t rain too much and we were able to get the plants on the truck down to the land and didn’t need to carry them. When we gathered sawdust and guaba leaves for the composting and also got them on the truck and then set out walking to the reforestation area, It is a nice walk. When we arrived everyone had a chance to sit down and then we had Jorges introduction in Shuar and the welcoming, Lunch was a little behind and the original plan was to do the composting first and then lunch but because Omar needed more things specifically micro organisms from the forest to do the composting I decided to send 4 people and a guide with him and then the rest of us would start tree planting so we set off to plant the first trees until we ran out of space, and set up to the hut for lunch, The Lunch was great and what really impressed the students was that the plates were all made out of leaves. Jayden tried a Chonta curo ( a Maggot) which grossed out most of the other students. Most people ate everything, but there were a few people who didn’t eat it.
After lunch we were ready to do the composting and Omar talked us through it while a few volunteers help mixing the compost mixture, the people in the community were really interested and I am sure will use the technique in the future and this was one of the biggest goals of Nunkui get people involved and to help to change their habits.
We had a few more trees to plant and needed to stake them all, I took a few students with me to carry stakes down and we were able to complete it right on time. And headed back to the bus. And then we headed back to Banos and it was hamburger night which everyone was very happy about! That night the group went out and explored by themselves in the rain which they all enjoyed!
Climate action, 14. Life on land. 15 Life below water. 2. Zero Hunger. 1. No Poverty
Day 6 Banos
Banos was an Activity day, and the thing that really stood out for me is was Samuel and Musa, who were both afraid of heights but Musa still managed to go upside down on the ziplines and Samuel managed to go on the glass bottom bridge and not only that but on the end of the world swing. When we went through the roses and thorns in the bus the biggest roses were staying at Guayusa Runa, and then most common thorns were the long bus journey and this day was no exception, we got back to the Hotel In Quito at gone 10pm
SDG’s 7. Affordable and clean energy, good health and well being
Day 7 Quito
Today, I Started with the group but missed the water museum so I could arrange the things on the bus, then met up with them for the historic center, where the groups were divided into 2 groups, I joined Alejo and we went to Lunch and then took the Subway to the handicraft market, where people who needed the bus got money and got all the presents they needed to take back home with them. Finally we went back to the Selina hotel to do the CAS project challenge and wrap everything up. The Students had really good ideas for their CAS project challenge. They presented their ideas and the teachers really loved this part, and off to Dinner and finally to the airport. At the airport everyone wanted to take Photos with Alejandro and I which was really nice and invited us to stay with them in Pennsylvania
SDG’s 6. Clean water and sanitation. 14 life below water.
Overall it was an amazing experience and watching the students have many first time experiences but also thinking about the world and the impact we have on it and how they could make a difference was the most rewarding thing.
