My trip to Guyana was an experience that I feel I will never forget. To me something that truly stood out was the connection between the people we met and their surrounding environments. Every individual we worked with had stories of being with the land and not only using what they need but giving back and caring for it. For so many people living in Guyana the land is what provides for them. In the hustle and bustle of every day life in the US I feel that most of us are missing these connections to nature. We talk about how to protect the environment and teach our kids to care but yet most individuals don't go and actually experience even what's in their back yard.
It was great to work with individuals who were so passionate about their surroundings. The crew at Iwokrama that know the trails and rivers so well that they can tell you where an individual hawk likes to hang out. The students of the wildlife club at such young ages can tell you what bird is calling like it's the easiest thing in the world. Auntie Paulette who loves and cares for her land so much that she wants to share with outsiders how to take care of the plants and the stories behind why the plants are used. The guides at the Surama eco-lodge who bent over backwards to show us things that make this place special. To the ladies utilizing every little part of the cassava plants that they can. To finally Milnor showing us how to make arrows and teaching us with such passion for the purpose of hunting. Everyone we met has this very special connection to the place they call home.
In my current life I am an outsider to the place I now call home. I've transplanted myself to this island that I feel is very special yet the lifelong connection is missing. I didn't grow up here and don't know everything there is to know. It's almost a struggle to truly know this place for me. The Hawaiians around me have the connection with their land. They believe that there is a personal responsibility to take care of the land. This kuleana (responsibility) is ingrained into the youth and lives within the individual. If you take care of the land it will take care of you. Those that truly have this connection view the land and nature as spiritual beings and respect them so much. It was really great to see that connection living on elsewhere in the world because I feel not many places still have that feeling and it's rare to see it.

 Auntie Paulette Alicock shares her knowledge and stories about her farm.

One of the guides from Iwokrama eco-lodge shares information about the Greenheart tree while on a hike.

 A student in the wildlife club after going on a bird hike

 Milnor teaching our group how to make arrows

Some of our students learning how to weave baskets from a native grass