Each year, TWP takes a group of supporters to Central America to see first-hand our stove building and reforestation programs at work. Tour participants have the opportunity to actually help build a fuel-efficient stove and plant tree seedlings - meeting and working with the people in the communities we serve.
It's not all work, though! Each tour also includes great sight-seeing destinations, cultural activities, and birdwatching opportunities. Led by TWP International Director Stuart Conway, these trips are a chance to get an "insider's view" of Central America and its many wonders. Tours are conducted through the Mesoamerican Tourism Alliance, an alliance of local organizations committed to the development and promotion of sustainable tourism as a means for supporting conservation efforts in Central America.
2009's Eco-Tour will visit Guatemala. Highlights will include:
- Briefing at the US Embassy about Guatemala's current social and environmental issues
- Building a Justa stove with a local family in a rural village near the town Tiquisate
- Visiting TWP's micro-enterprise tree nursery and helping to plant trees with community members
- Visiting Santiago Atitlan, and indigenous community on the shores of volcano-rimmed Lake Atitlan, one of the most beautiful lakes in the world
- Exploring Antigua, former Spanish capital of Guatemala and a designated UN World Heritage Cultural Site
- Visiting the spectacular Mayan ruins at Tikal, a national park with luxurious tropical forests, abundant wildlife, and great birding opportunities, and the most extensively-excavated Mayan site in Mesoamerica
For all the details, see the 2009 Eco-Tour flier (requires Adobe Reader).
View a slideshow of past Eco-Tours
"As financial supporters of TWP, we never doubted that it does
good things that are environmentally sound. But it was the
first-hand look at how TWP uses their donor’s dollars that truly
commanded our respect ... We were
truly inspired by actually teaming up with some
of the community-minded people who are making those good
things happen."
Judy Randal
"It
was not until my hands-on experience that I truly came to
appreciate the far-reaching effect my contributions had in
assisting this wonderful organization to pursue their mission ... I was able to observe the needs of the
Nicaraguan and Honduran people first hand and to experience the
sense of hope a new stove brought to the women and children."
Tim Holzheimer
"Our departure from Tiquisate was touching as we were thanked with
hugs all around. The people of the south coast were absolutely wonderful.
Trees, Water, & People holds a special place at the heart of this community
and for a few beautiful days we were productive members working side by
side."
Jim Volpa
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Trees, Water & People is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works to improve people's lives by helping communities protect, conserve and manage the natural resources upon which their long-term well-being depends. | |