One aspect of Ec3 (Ecological Economics in Ecuador) is ecotourism. Saturday we went on our first hike. The path was dirt from all of the people walking on it and it was eroding. In the center of the path there were deep ruts since there were no plants to hold the soil in place when it rained. After nearly two hours we came to a place where the path split and both would reach the summit. To the left, the path was very technical and to the right, the path was longer. Most people take the right path since it is much easier; I took the left path.
After about an hour of hiking on this new path, I noticed a lot of plant life. The rocks were covered in different colored mosses and small plants; even the path was covered in life. I carefully walked through the plants and mosses, trying not to smash them. We were there to reach the summit, but It was at this point that I began to think about how impactful an influx of people can be as ecotourism grows. Places full of life can be impacted as people begin to trampled through. The path we take to our destination affects that which is around us.
By Trever Yoder
