Day 10: Closing reflection Day
Student Trip Blog
THE BRITISH ARE COMING!!!
jk….but they did help us plant 700 trees (in only an hour)!!! Today, the best LDDs to ever grace Panama woke up the gang bright and early at 4:30 in the morning. Going door to door, we brought the energy to a very tired group and got them on the road at 5:30. We arrived at basecamp around 7:30, changed into our rainboots, and braced ourselves for mud and sweat on our very first jungle CAP (Community Action Project) Day. We worked alongside Pro-Eco Azuero and a bunch of British teen girls with incredible accents who were on a similar trip.
From basecamp, we walked through treacherous paths and up steep hills to arrive at the planting area. This was no small feat and let’s just say it got wet everywhere. On some stretches of the trail, we had to be silent in order to not disturb wasps’ nests who were out for blood. After arriving at the destination, we were given another demonstration about the proper tree planting technique, and then split into groups which then were assigned to different rows on the mountains.
It turns out, the actual planting of the trees was easier than the walk to get there, however, the rows were rather steep and rocky and some of us fell (but everyone was okay!). We had fun yelling across the mountains at each other while planting, and keeping our spirits high with stupid jokes. For example “THE BRITISH ARE COMING!” was a staple. To ensure that our baby trees will grow into big ones, local workers trailed behind us to do quality control and help when we tweaked out. The main tips were keeping the trees level and straight, with tightly packed soil all around.
While planting, we carried around sticks to put the plastic wrapping that held the baby tree’s roots and soil together. Some of them fell apart, but we worked hard to keep them together to avoid litter.
After planting, we did the whole walk back, and found that running down the hills proved to be hard but also very thrilling. We cleaned up back at basecamp and said goodbye to the Brits and loaded up the bus. We lunched in a surf town with many cute dawgs. The town, Playa Venao, was full of surfer hotties and sweet views of the ocean. We got ice-cream and souvenirs at the local surf shop. We got back on the bus and made it back to the hotel in a daze. We ended the night with a bang from the next LDDs, Gio, Carleigh, and Luka.
Signing off,
The best leaders of all time and space
Jayshawna, Jenny, and Maggie
P.S. In the comments, tell us about the activity that made you the sweatiest you’ve ever been!
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Comments (11)
Anzuruni Kimba
That sounds like an epic adventure! Trekking through rough terrain, dodging wasps, and still pushing through to plant trees. now that’s dedication! I can only imagine how intense (and muddy!) it got, but it’s so cool that you all powered through. The mountain setting, group effort, and learning the technique on-site must’ve made the whole experience feel even more meaningful. Huge respect for putting in that kind of work for a cause!
Adriana V.
Great job! I’ve planted trees in Chicago with a community group and it’s a lot of work… I’m sure it’s ten times harder when you’re going up steep hills and in the rain! I enjoy gardening but I don’t like pulling the weeds, you realize the next morning that there are muscles you don’t use often. Lol. Enjoy the last couple of days in Panama! Love you Israel!
Catrina
700 trees😳😳, y’all planted 700 trees!!! Amazing work. That hike looked hard but fun. I hope you all rest well tonight. Job well don!!!
Ebony Nelson
Day 8 sounds like it was a tough day but you all made it through!
Bobby Vujic
You all did a terrific job planting so many trees while navigating the treacherous jungle terrain. I would have wanted to make like a tree, and leave. The British girls must have been knackered too, knicking off for afternoon tea and scones.
What a great write-up by today’s LDDs! We can’t wait to see what tomorrow’s leaders have in store for you!
Any strenuous outdoor activity in July gets me super sweaty. This one time, it was early in the afternoon, and I forgot my mail key, so I had to walk to the mailbox twice, IN ONE DAY! That was a sweaty one.
Leslie Conforti
What a day! Love that you had British teens along for the fun/work. I bet they appreciated your accents just as much! Sounds like you had wonderful leaders, too. : ) I get sweaty and worn out just gardening at home — no mountains, no wasps, not even planting trees. You all really are the GOAT. xoxo
Dorthea
Enjoy CC…..Be safe. ..,Always remember who you are and whose you are! Develop many friendships and relationships…you will have those memories forever. BTW… where is your HAT!😘😘😘
Raquel Martinez
Wow! What an adventure! Thank you thank you thank you for helping us all breath better ♥️ It would be awesome to return in the future to check on your trees! Have a wonderful rest of your trip. Love you Mia!
Michelle D Sanders
Great job everyone, I seen sad faces during the start but you guy found joy as the day progressed. All you LDDs done a terrific job. Tajah your trip is almost over and home you will be. Ok Glimpsers have a great night 🌙 ☺️ 👍
Brent Nichols (GG Staff)
Hi Jayshawna, Jenny, and Maggie (aka – TBLoALT&S). This was a really funny and entertaining blog. It’s actually cool when you are traveling to a foreign country but meet people from a 3rd country that are also experiencing the foreign culture that you are in, as you did with these girls from the UK. That’s actually a great way to understand both the culture you are in and the 3rd countries culture as well. If you all said “The British are coming”, what do you think they were saying about your delegation?
Love your engagement question as a PS! Most sweaty – any run or manual labor when it is 90 degrees or more will basically mean my shirt will be about 5 lbs. by the end of the activity.
Keith and Cheryl Davis
Oh wow! Planting trees will provide the atmosphere with wonderful oxygen. Way to go team! The group leaders did a wonderful job coordinating the planting of the trees. The trees will have an impact on the environment for years to come. Thank you for sharing the pictures of your community involvement. The people of Panama will benefit for life. We love you and we are SO proud of you Carleigh Lewis!