Every morning, the children of Blue House fill the classroom bird feeder and wait with anticipation to see what birds might come to visit.  On this morning, a small group of children gathered excitedly at the window.  One of the children pointed to a visiting bird.  Another child quickly and spontaneously went to her cubby to get her name tag which had a picture of that very type of bird.  The other children did the same and waited patiently to see if they, too, would encounter a match.

Though young, our Primary children are already interested in classifying their world.  They can identify White Throated Sparrows, Eastern Bluebirds, and Red-Winged Blackbirds.  They recognize which friend has the Northern Cardinal on her tag.

The birds became quite used to the children at the window. The children learned if they sprinkled cracked corn on the porch, the Mourning Doves would come and feed very close to the classroom doors.  Some of the children would draw or write their observations in our classroom nature journal.

Curiosity leads to a love of nature and the outdoors. What a nice way to spend a school day!

 

Another full day yesterday in the Mindo area, a couple hours west of Quito. We spent the day taking a chocolate tour, meandering through butterfly gardens and zip lining through the canopy which was the highlight for all. We were invited to stay the night with our taxi family in their river house in a small lower valley village. We spent time with the family, played billiards at the only local store/ center, cooked breakfast this morning and harvested fruit in their yard before driving the three hour windy mountain roads back to Quito. We packed up from our wonderful Airbnb and are staying in the hostel of our taxi family before flying out early tomorrow morning. All have been fantastic travels and the trip has been beyond everyone’s expectations. We are all looking forward to being home and giving loved ones warm hugs.

 

Since their arrival, the students have been eager to engage in a Community Service Project. We were fortunate to make some really good connections here and heard about a small day care center on the outskirts of Quito that needed some help, Mis Pequenas Sonrisas, a day care center that provides free day care for many poor families, whose parents are required to work 2 jobs to simply survive. The students used their hard earned money to purchase lots of paint and some beautiful plants to enhance their environment. They worked tirelessly in the heat for 8 hours and were the star attraction of the day. The children were in awe of them and wanted to help them so badly. A little tricky when paint is involved! It was lovely to observe not only their hard work, but their gentle and patient interactions with the children. I think everyone will sleep well tonight.

 

Another incredible day of Ecuadorian adventures. We had a lovely drive north to Parque del Condor where we had a tour of ancient Inca spiritual grounds. It was an amazing presentation of the balance of energy between the earth and sky and humans’ role. We then had a short hike to a fabulous waterfall and literally walked through the water to fully experience it. Lunch was enjoyed at a traditional Ecuadorian restaurant before heading into the huge Otavalo market. The Ecuadorian crafts were an overload for the senses, but a wonderful experience and immersion. Another culturally rich day and all smiles and laughs.

 

A day at a traditional Ecuadorian market in the town of Saquisili followed by a short hike at Laguna Quilotoa, a volcanic crater lake. The drive was stunning and roads windy and steep. Livestock and crops are grown on impressively vertical hillsides, with intensive and rotational grazing practices. Today, we drove through the countryside to the west, which was far drier than the eastern side of the mountains. The students are practicing their Spanish skills as they sampled traditional foods and tasted new fruits. A full and culturally rich day.