Of Rivers, People, and Dams

A Watson Year Abroad To Explore River Conservation

Conservation and Crossfit: How Can We Flex The Muscles of Environmentalism?

Throughout my interviews in both Ecuador and Chile, when asked what we can do to improve the conservation of rivers about 99% of people...

Magic, Waterfalls, and Top-Notch Instruction!

It’s 5:30 AM and the alarm is going off, my mind slowly wakes up and as I open my eyes I look up to see the still dark sky strewn with...

Ecuador to Chile: Observations and Challenges of Transitioning

I could already see the walls slamming closed behind her eyes, eyes that were filled with look of confusion, maybe a little shock as she...

The Evolving Story of Waste Water Contamination

It has been very interesting to see how my understanding of issues here is continually evolving and growing. It allows me to better...

Trash and Waste in Ecuador: Messages vs Actions

"Your life depends on water, don't through debris or trash in the river" Throughout Ecuador, at pretty much every bridge across a river,...

Rivers, Transportation, Lodging, Etc: Paddling in Ecuador

Whether you are dreaming of running big water surrounded by Morpho butterflies and the calls of parakeets or boofing your way down...

Conservation and River Tourism: A Paradox?

What impact does tourism really have on a community? On the world? It has become vogue recently to advertise ecotourism, sustainable...

Celebrating a Month in Ecuador

This week will mark the celebration of my first month, my first month here in Ecuador, my first month of this incredible journey. I can’t...

The Complications of River Conservation

In my first blog I wrote of the excitement I felt about arriving in this incredible place and about how it seemed that people here were...

¿Proteger El Río Jondachi?

A river in the jungle. Green. A kind of green that in hard to imagine. An impossible puzzle filled to the brim with every color of green...