Field Notes — Reserva: The Youth Land Trust

Expedition: Day 10 – End

A good night’s sleep in proper beds meant that Callie, Carter, and I awoke feeling refreshed on Friday, ready for our long drive back to Quito. But the general mood at Dracula House that morning was different to what it had been previously—Javier was tense, keen to get us out of Carchi province as early as possible to ensure our journey wasn’t compromised by any more blockaded roads or intensifying political demonstrations. We hurried to eat breakfast and gather together all of our belongings—clothes, camera kit, and all—that were strewn messily about the place.

Lucy HoulistonMay 5, 2020ReservaExpedition, Ecuador Comment

Expedition: Day 9

It was raining when we woke up at 6AM, so instead of birding and drone-flying, we started gathering our scattered belongings and packing our tents. Callie’s black Pelican case was to be sent home early with the morning team of porters, so we had to make hard decisions about what camera equipment to do without for the day.

Carter RiesDecember 1, 2019ReservaExpedition, EcuadorComment

Expedition: Day 8

It was a bittersweet morning, as today was the day the Reserva Expedition team would be leaving camp for good. At least, that’s what we thought, right up until the moment we heard the dulcet tones of our trusty satellite telephone. It was a colleague from Chical, calling to deliver the news that strikes in the nearby town of Tulcán were escalating, and that many of the surrounding roads had been blockaded.

Lucy HoulistonNovember 25, 2019ReservaExpedition, Ecuador Comment

Expedition: Day 7

I woke up, and as I stood, the smell of smoke overwhelmed me. I thought that something had burned down, but thankfully it was just the fire that kept us warm in the night. I went to see if Lucy and Callie were awake, and much to my surprise, they were already out and about with Daniel, birding. I went outside and stood among the clouds for a bit, listening to nature, before taking out my drone to start collecting aerial photos of the campsite.

Carter RiesNovember 21, 2019ReservaExpedition, EcuadorComment

Expedition: Day 6

We awoke feeling a little worse for wear on Monday morning—our many hours spent traversing muddy slopes in torrential rain were finally beginning to take their toll on our poor muscles… It was excitement that would spur us on to tackle our next challenge: an 8 kilometre trek across some equally wet, slippery terrain to our newest base; a remote field station nestled in the heart of the Ecuadorian Chocó.

Lucy HoulistonNovember 4, 2019ReservaExpedition, EcuadorComment

Expedition: Day 5

We woke up at 7:00 and went downstairs for rice and eggs We were able to speak to Javier about the day ahead and as usual, he was super excited. He explained to us that we were going to a beautiful river that ran with heavy water and spectacular creatures roaming around. We all got pumped up about the hike, immediately got our shoes and rain gear on, and hopped in the car.

Carter RiesOctober 31, 2019ReservaExpedition, EcuadorComment