Exploring Puma-Mashpi:
Educational Encounter in our Natural Reserve

Friday, March 28, 2025

Learning and Connecting with Nature

The Puma-Mashpi Reserve, located in the heart of the Mashpi cloud forest in the Ecuadorian Andean Chocó bioregion, welcomed them with enthusiasm.

Second and third year high school students from the Unidad Educativa Municipal del Milenio Bicentenario came to this natural sanctuary to develop their CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service) program project, an essential component of the International Baccalaureate (IB) that promotes the personal and social development of students through practical experiences that complement their academic training.

Transformative Experiences

At noon, 46 students and their teachers arrived at the reserve, where they were greeted with motivational words from the Foundation's president, Xavier Muñoz.

After a group photograph, the participants were divided into two groups for complementary experiences. One group, led by Benjamín and Jossué, immersed themselves in the “Forest Bath” activity, while the other, guided by Daniel and Xavier, explored the “Viewpoint Route”.

They learned about the forest, the ecosystems, the interrelationships of nature, tanagers, toucans and hummingbirds.

The day was going normally when a heavy rain began to fall on the cloud forest.

Far from discouraging the participants, this natural phenomenon strengthened the spirit of the group, who continued the activities with renewed enthusiasm.

As popular wisdom has it, there is no better blessing for a newly planted tree than rain, and this was proven by the students when each one had the opportunity to plant life in the reserve. There are 46 new trees, taken from cuttings and renewals of the same forest, guarumos, motilones and palms that will allow the recovery of areas of the reserve that were deforested for cattle ranching, contributing directly to the conservation of this valuable ecosystem.

Connecting with the community, panela route

The educational experience was not limited to the natural environment. As a fundamental part of the CAS program, which seeks to foster collaborative exchange with the community, the group went to the San Carlos factory to participate in the “Panela Route”.

This activity allowed the students to learn about traditional production processes and establish links with the local community, essential elements for their integral formation.

At the end of the day, the young people returned to Quito with a new perspective on the importance of conservation and sustainable development.

Enthusiasm and satisfaction were evident on their faces, reflecting an experience that transcended academics to become a significant learning experience for life.

We thank the Foundation's team for their commitment and dedication, the teachers, the local guides for the Panela Route, the Association of Ecuadorian Schools with International Baccalaureate (ASECBI) for allowing us to be part of their programs, it was a great teamwork that allowed the successful result achieved.

This experience is part of an educational program that seeks to inspire new generations to become agents of change for the conservation of our ecosystems.

TOGETHER WE ARE PART OF THE SOLUTION

"Every tree you plant makes a difference", Jane Goodall.