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Kaitlin Ryan writes....

...about her experience while volunteering in Ecuador.

Hi! I've just finished my time at Amazon and am now in Quito. I had the most amazing month of my life! The rainforest sounds at night are very soothing and I'm already missing my mosquito net. The best part of the trip was getting to know all of the other volunteers, who came from all over the world. Leaving was difficult but we're going to stay in touch.

During my stay I saw a lot of interesting animals, like monkeys, snakes, tarantulas, colourful birds, and more. As well, I fed the chickens quite frequently at the station.

A few weeks ago we built a pigpen, and now Amazon has a pig named Gringo. We've been collecting the manure and using it in the area of soil improvement. I did a lot of work at the Centro de Conservacion de Plantas Amazonas, mainly trail maintenance, gardening, and learning about the station's plans for educating the community about the rainforest. I was also able to teach English at a local school, and work in the Organic Garden.

There are all kinds of fun things to do at the station during time off, like the treehouse, the tower, and they even have a tv vcr where you can watch movies - all rainforest theme, of course! The bar down the road is really nice as well and we all have enjoyed the cold drinks and sweets there. Sundays are very relaxing, with all of the volunteers sitting around and making jewelry out of hemp and seeds. None of our artwork can even compare to what is available here in Ecuador, but we have fun with it anyway.

I'm flying out tomorrow but thanks for an awesome opportunity and I hope to return to Ecuador someday!