We would like to thank these volunteers for taking the time to write about some of their experiences in Ecuador.

I have recently returned from 7 weeks in Ecuador. Of this, I spent 3 and a half weeks at Bilsa Biological Station. Bilsa is located in a remote area of Ecuador northwest of Quito. To travel to Bilsa from Quito requires 5 hours by bus, 1 � hours by truck and then about 4 hours of walking depending on the conditions. The main focus at Bilsa is reforestation.

Conditions at Bilsa are somewhat rustic which has its ups and downs. The showers which are built under a waterfall in the river are definitely cool. The candlelit dinners were nice. However, I can do without mould growing on my clothes. During my time there, the number of volunteers ranged from 7-25. Volunteers came from all over the world which allowed glimpses into many cultures not just Ecuadorian culture. There were about 9 regular staff. There were also a few people doing longer term research projects.

A typical week involved 2 days of work on reforestation, 2 days hiking, 2 days of work on personal projects and 1 day off. We also had one community visit and one camping trip while I was there. Personal projects depended on each person�s interests, skills and length of time spent at Bilsa. I taught first aid to the staff and park guards. I also helped with several minor construction projects around the camp such as ladders for bunk beds and building a stretcher. Evening activities include playing guitar, cards, other games and sitting around chatting. It was a very relaxed atmosphere.

Volunteering at Bilsa allows a great opportunity to hike in the forest and learn about the local flora and fauna. You can pick up some Spanish from the staff, but the volunteers generally speak English so you are not really immersed in Spanish. I thought that I would be much more involved with the reforestation and would really be able to make a difference. I found that we actually did not do that much work on the reforestation. Many factors contributed to this � the time of year, staff being away for vacations and elections and the fact that most of the volunteers are there for short periods of time and therefore cannot be trained in certain aspects of the reforestation. In some ways I felt that the main purpose of the volunteers was to provide money and to do some of the other jobs around camp so that the people who are there doing real research or reforestation have the facitilies to do so. I suppose that is a contribution by itself. In some ways I was disappointed that I did not �save the world� as I had perhaps hoped. But I also think that the longterm benefits of this type of volunteer experience are not measured in the number of trees planted. Hopefully some of the staff will remember something of the first aid that I taught them.

Having the opportunity to spend time with people from around the world has increased my understanding of many different topics including environmentalism, politics, cultures, economics, etc� And hopefully they will have learned something from me. I have come home inspired by some of the people that I met to become more involved both locally and globally. And by speaking about my experience to my friends and family at home maybe I have inspired some of them. I think that any opportunity to share ideas and experiences with people from different cultures is valuable. So although this trip was not exactly what I expected it was still very worthwhile and I would do it again. I have also learned some things for my next trip � take more money, less clothes and leave the expectations at home. That way you are flexible and open to possibilities.

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