Ecuador: Klara Stelzer (A New Experience)

A New Experience

An experience that stood out to me thus far during my exchange program in Ecuador was visiting the town of Coca, a city on the edge of the Amazon rainforest. We started the day by visiting a local Kichwa community. After talking with the landowners about the effects of a nearby oil company on their lives, we got to dance and play with children in the community. I loved connecting with the kids and asking them about their lives and their connection to the land. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and after spending half a day with the people in the community, it was a hard goodbye.

On the way back, we stopped at one of the 486 oil flares in the Amazon Rainforest which was an eye-opening experience. An oil flare burns the leftover natural gas from extracting oil, and the one we visited had been burning for 50 years. A rush of horror came over me as I stood in front of the flare, after just visiting the community in which it greatly affected. Record high rates of cancer, lung/skin problems, and other health issues have been reported in every single community surrounding the oil flares. This is due to the natural gas the flares are releasing as well as the oil contamination to all nearby water sources.

It was an experience that I wish everyone could have to understand the impact of what they do and where they spend their money. It is easy to become disconnected from the harsh realities of how a person’s consumption can affect so many people. The visit to the oil flare and the nearby community was an incredible reminder to be mindful of my impact and advocate for sustainable practices.

Klara Stelzer

Major: Genetics and Genomics, Botany

Hometown: Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Program: Ceiba Tropical Conservation Semester: Galapagos, Andes and Amazon