The Journey of a Friendly Giant

Cerro Blanco is a part of Bird Life international and is considered an important area because of its several bird species that are critically endangered and rely on its environment.  For those that do not know him, Eric Horstman, my boss, is extremely passionate about nature and its protection.   “I have personally noticed his love for birds. He often attends international conferences, and has developed quiet a name for himself through several different international networking events.” -Tania Rios, supervisor at Cerro Blanco Yellow tailed Oriole  Two years ago, Eric received a message from a woman named Jane Johnson. She was in the process of completing a children’s book about a Grey Cheeked Parakeet that they owned named Tangerine. He was happy to help Jane Johnson with anything that she needed to know about the bird. After a few months of emailing back and forth, Jane and her husband Clifford Johnson finally decided to visit Cerro Blanco to see the colorf...

The shortage of landfill space across the globe has made waste an important issue that every nation has to deal with. In Canada, recycling is promoted as way to reduce waste and contribute to a greener planet. I’ve always been a fan of recycling; it even became second nature to me. When I have garbage, I’m used to sorting it and placing it in the recycling box. But to my surprise, my apartment here in Ecuador didn't have one. When I asked my roommate why he didn't recycle, his answer was “nobody recycles at home Cassie, that's something some people do at work .” I convinced myself that his opinion could be the exception, and decided to ask more people. By reading my blogs one may gather that I'm a very curious person. I like to know why , things are the way that they are, and am never scared to ask. That's one of the reasons I chose international development as a field of work, because I learned some reasons “ why ” the world was the way that it was, and I wanted...