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New Hampshire - Ecuador Semester
From the Green Mountains to the Andes
September – December

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
At Kroka’s Farm Base Camp in Marlow, NH we will immerse ourselves in the past and present life of the Appalachian Mountains. Working on local farms we will harvest the gifts of the summer.

We will study history and culture, geology, geography, weather and folk arts. Through canning, fermenting and dehydrating we will prepare food for the months ahead. We will make backpacks, knives, and study Spanish in preparation for our southern migration. By early October, a strong and close knit community will arrive in the heart of the Andes, at our Base Camp on Hacienda Palugo, outside the city of Quito.

Bridging the gap between two worlds, we will take part in the daily work of the farm, study with local artists and craftspeople, and continue learning Spanish. We will study the mysteries of the volcanic landscape of the Andes and its indigenous people. Then a new journey begins as we depart via cataraft traveling down Amazon tributaries to the remote Village of Shiwakotcha. Here people still live as hunter-gatherer.

The time spent with the Shiwakotcha will give us amazing insights into our common human path, and the inspiration to work hard towards a positive world future where love and understanding will guide change. On the final expedition we will learn mountaineering skills before climbing Mt. Cotopaxi (19,200 feet), the highest active volcano in the world.

Throughout this journey we will observe and ponder, discuss and debate and write our own story. By the middle of December the group will return to New Hampshire, where the Earth is now covered in snow. Coursework gets completed and we will share our journey with families and the public.

“I believe that we should introduce students to the mysteries of specific places and things before giving them access to the power inherent in abstract knowledge.” –David Orr, author of Earth in Mind