WHO WE ARE

In 2015, we purchased the land which is now Nido de Vida in the farming town of Union La Bolivarense with the intention of starting a family farm. The land was completely forested, and when we arrived and started setting up, our neighbors were welcoming and supportive in a way that went beyond what we’d ever expected. One neighbor provided lodging, and as construction of our home began, others would check up on us, gifting us oranges, yuccas, cheese, etc. It was their warmth and concern for our well-being that sparked our desire for Nido de Vida to be more than just a family farm. We were inspired to have a strong community focus.

Since then, we’ve been guided by the following.

We seek to be good neighbors in Union La Bolivarense. We believe that the best way to do this is by being active participants in daily community life in La Bolivarense. We seek opportunities inside and outside of our community to address collective goals shared among members. 

We focus our work on experiential research, but by no means are we experts. We are motivated by the idea of researching, learning, and experimenting with different methods and techniques for sustainable living specific to our region of Ecuador. We approach our family farm as an opportunity to experiment and share practices for small-scale farming and environmental stewardship that have the potential for positive impact on the people and nature around us. Our hope is that through this work we become better stewards of nature as well as strengthen our mutual well-being, while  inspiring others to do the same in their own communities.

We want to create experiences and opportunities where community members and visitors can share life experiences, generate ideas, and take action on themes such as farming, nature, cross-culture, community impact, the future, etc. At Nido de Vida we encourage exploration and discussion to foster learning, understanding, and action to contribute to everyone’s well-being.