Somos los nuevos voluntarios, Krista y Morgan

We have officially made it through the first two weeks in the Ecuadorian Jungle, and how special it is already becoming to us! We are the new volunteers here at Reserva Las Tangaras, Kris and Morgan, and we figured we should tell you a bit about ourselves!

We are both environmental nerds, who love to take in every part of an ecosystem, big or small (you may notice that we will have lots of bug posts on instagram and Facebook courtesy of Krista’s passion in entomology). We have spent multiple years working in various seasonal positions in a combination of Alaska, Minnesota, Washington, and Wyoming. Krista has worked researching grizzly bears, as a environmental educator for elementary aged students, and as a sea kayak guide. Morgan has worked doing salmon research for commercial fisheries, maintenance for an education center, and invasive fish removal.

We are both so excited to get the chance to study the creatures flying above us rather than swimming below us. We have already gotten into a good groove of going up to hear the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock scream for an hour or so at their lek in the mornings, the tick-tick-whooo of the Club Winged Manakin feathers, and are starting to get used to the feeling of the hummingbirds swooshing inches from our faces as they tussel, fighting for their territory over the feeders in the evenings.

We have also started to get to see more of the community that forms in the amazing town of Mindo. People’s innate desire to help and provide for anyone passing through is such a wonderful thing to see. Every time we have had to head to town to grocery shop, folks on their way down the hill stopped to offer us a ride in the back of their truck so we don’t have to walk the whole way down. People in town are so incredibly patient with our growing Spanish skills, and will slow down to make sure we understand their directions and conversations.

The opportunity to live and work in a place so filled with biodiversity and community is such a special thing that we want to make sure we never take for granted. So a pre-thank you to every person, bird, mammal, and bug we will get to meet here in the next 6 months. We look forward to every bit of time, and can’t wait to see all the adventures we get to experience!

Krista and Morgan