Report

On that cold Saturday morning, on my arrival at Quito airport, I was breathless, partly because of the beauty of the majestic mountains that surrounded the city and partly because of the altitude, 2850 m above sea level.

It is difficult to express how anxious I was. I had looked forward to the day when I would finally fly to the city where I was to spend the next three months working for one of the world’s most important environmental organizations.

When I arrived, I had hoped to see Cotopaxi, the mystic volcano in the Andean mountains that guards the city of Quito, but the mists that often envelope Quito prevented this view. By the time I finally saw Cotopaxi Volcano, more than two weeks after I arrived, I could walk through the Quito’s streets with familiarity.

I had visited many of the downtown churches, roamed the markets, and had enjoyed humitas, empanaditas de morocho, de verde and ceviches, prepared in many different ways. I also became familiar with the political, economic and social situation of the country, as well as the different artistic expressions of the Ecuadorian people.

The first weekend I spent in Quito, just before my first day of work, was interesting since I found myself alone, without a map, but with a lot of energy. By the end of the weekend, though, thanks to public transportation, taxies, trolley buses, and walking, I practically knew all of Quito’s colonial center, declared a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1978.

If I had to express my days in Quito in two words, I would have to say, "walking" and "learning". Walking because I walked as I had never done before. I tried to capture every single scene, not just in Quito, but everywhere in Ecuador, since each weekend I visited a different place. The other, “learning” because during my internship at IUCN Sur, every single minute definitely represented something new to learn.

I was pleasantly surprised on my first day in the IUCN office, because I found that everyone was so friendly and received me with a smile. This was even more remarkable because the office had just received a new regional director, and was host during the Global Program Director's one-week visit.

During this time, I had the opportunity to attend a series of orientations and reports presented by the different teams at the office. All this helped me to get involved in the office environment. One of the most important aspects of my internship provided me with was the opportunity to experience work outside of my theoretical field. It taught me conservation skills, as well as the importance of saving our rapidly diminishing natural resources.

Work at the IUCN Sur Regional Office was very demanding. Only small groups of people are based there but their teamwork is very effective. I was assigned a desk and had the opportunity to participate in many different office activities. My job was basically an administrative one, so I did not have the opportunity for fieldwork. Although at the beginning I would have liked to go to the field, I discovered many alternative activities I could equally enjoy in the office. The most important thing was that I could observe how the office managers its administrative activities through the region.

My main tasks were in communications. I helped the communication liaison team in areas such as the translation of documents from English to Spanish, designing of interviews, writing of web news for the office’s web page, and communicating with the media, and with people involved in conservation issues and sustainable development.

One of the highlights of my experience was supporting the team which prepared the documents for the presentation of IUCN Sur’s position at the World Summit for Sustainable Development, in Johannesburg held in September, 2002. While at IUCN, I was also able to participate in the Global Forum on Trade, Environment and Development held in Quito during July, 2002. Not only did I meet many of the leaders involved in these issues, but I was able to hear points of view not often expressed in my academic environment. I also had the opportunity help my fellow IUCN colleagues in hosting the second Pan American Regional Meeting, Ramsar Convention, held in the coastal city of Guayaquil in July.

Ecuador is as beautiful as its people. The rest of the country is very accessible from Quito. From the capital it is easy to reach many beaches, high mountains, and dense tropical forests. I will always remember my visit the Equator. I was able to stand with one foot in the Northern Hemisphere and one in the Southern Hemisphere.

Photo Gallery

With Verónica Benitez (right), from the Communication Unit, after interviewing an Ecuadorian girl (center) slected to represent the children's voice worldwide at the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, 2002.

With Eduardo Guerrero, my supervisor, who kindly allowed me to participate in many different projects.

About 2 hours from Quito, Mindo is rich in biodiversity, ecosystems, and forests, and so has great tourist potential. However, an oil pipeline is being constructed there, greatly impacting the zone.

At the traditional Saturday market in Otavalo, which dates back to pre-Inca times.

The altar of the Compañía de Jesús, jesuit church, the most ornate in Ecuador.

The monastery of san francisco, Ecuador's oldest church. Its construction began only a few weeks after the founding of Quito in 1534.

At the monument La Mitad del Mundo (the middle of the world) where, as is traditional, I stood one with foot in the Northern Hemisphere, the other in the Southern Hemisphere.

Lunch hour… time to walk through Quito's colonial streets.

Quito's Cathedral on the plaza de la independencia.

At the modern art museum Guayasamín, home of the late Oswaldo Guayasamín, an Ecuadorian painter now famous throughout the world.

Traditional dancers.