EnglishNote from Paso Pacífico: In late 2023, for the first time in several years, we were able to host a group of friends in Central America and show them some of the impact of their support! Andrew Seligman helped plan and then attended the donor trip. We are deeply grateful for Andrew’s help. Thank you also to everyone who participated in this trip and has supported any part of our work for nature and communities.
In late October of 2023, a group of longtime Paso Pacífico supporters became the first donor group to visit our nascent projects in El Salvador.
A Global Beauty Pageant
Upon arrival, we immediately saw signs of the Miss Universe pageant that would be held in the country just days later. Promotion of the pageant was visible most everywhere, but what we soon realized was that the country didn’t need a pageant or even Miss Universe, because its natural beauty is already prize-winning and just needs our investments to secure the biodiversity that graces it.
A Day by Day Trip Account
Once in El Salvador, we experienced a pretty country with super-friendly locals, delicious food and a good road system. Those who arrived early were able to join a tour of San Salvador that included a visit to the tomb of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was assassinated during the civil war in the 1980s. Thankfully, the country is much calmer today.
Monday
Our first day was spent exploring the “Route of the Flowers”, a series of pretty, small towns, each with something different to see. There were markets, murals, museums, and memorials (as well as plenty of things not beginning with ‘M’). This gave us a good background to the culture, politics and recent history of the country.
The day was not without drama: a late-season tropical storm forced the closure of national parks, schools and many government offices, disrupting several plans for the next few days. On this Monday, it meant we were unable to inspect volcanoes close-up but had to be content with distant views. This day involved a lot of road travel, but luckily our group were all experienced travelers and adapted well. Some were relieved to keep a farther distance from the volcanoes!
Tuesday
The next day we visited La Geo. It is one of a number of geothermal plants now supplying over 40% of El Salvador’s energy needs. The organization running the plant also works on many social and economic development projects in the local area. It even houses an animal rescue center where endangered species such as spider monkeys, jaguarundi, macaws, and parrots are rehabilitated and sometimes released back into the wild. We learned about how Paso Pacífico helped bring in wildlife experts to increase the quality of the rescued animals’ care.
Wednesday
Then we headed east to the charming beach town of El Cuco. We spent the day at the beach with the intention of relaxing but when we realized how much plastic pollution had been washed onto the beach by the stormy waves, we spent part of the day doing a beach cleanup. We made a dent in the plastic but also got a view of the tremendous size of the problem.
As the day closed, we traveled to Bongo Experience and its small beach where Paso Pacifico is supporting their young sea turtle conservation efforts. At dusk, we were able to release dozens of newly-hatched olive ridley sea turtles into the ocean. By training a local team about protecting turtle nests and keeping predators at bay, Paso Pacífico increases the baby turtles’ chances of survival. The experience was so uplifting that our group hardly minded when our bus got stuck in the mud and had to be pulled out by a cement mixer!
Thursday
We went inland. Longtime Paso Pacífico associate Don Carmelo, assisted by community ranger Don Ricardo, took us for a hike through Don Ricardo’s property and the surrounding forest to see the splendid views from the mountaintop. He also showed us a disused property which Paso Pacifico is purchasing with the aim of teaching sustainable farming methods to Salvadoran farmers and later, selling produce to hotels and local shops. The farm will initially employ up to ten people to labor in agroforestry and forest restoration.
The recent tropical storm meant we could not visit spider monkeys in the wild, as the roads were impassable. But we did brave the rain to sail on Lake Olomega, home to the indigenous Lenca people. After seeing an ancient petroglyph, we met a Lenca woman who had learned to weave baskets from the invasive water hyacinths that grow on the lake. Her business supports her family and increases income in the village. Paso Pacifico is working to design a program by which more women can participate in the invasive water hyacinth removal and thereby generate revenue for their families through the creation and sale of handicrafts. We were happy to conclude this short visit with the purchase of these handmade baskets to share with friends and family back in the U.S.
Friday
Surf meets science! Our final stop was at El Sunzal, a beach town on a stretch of rocky coast in the La Libertad region. This has become a world-famous surfing spot, and the local surfing community has come together to install a steel-mesh barrier suspended from floats across the mouth of the river. This stops plastics and other trash from reaching the ocean.
Day of Departure
El Salvador is not without its challenges, but there is a deepening sense of ecological awareness which we hope will illuminate developments in the growing agricultural, industrial and tourism sectors. Traveling with Paso Pacifico, we got to see these diverse dimensions.
Photos by Andrew Seligman and Sarah Otterstrom.